The “first Thanksgiving” was held in 1621 as a simple gathering for celebration, nothing like a holiday.The pilgrims who had first survived the voyage over the Atlantic Ocean and had then survived the long winter were rewarded with a bountiful harvest, a cause for celebration.
Over a large span of years the pilgrims continued to gather together in a three day celebration and called it Thanksgiving. Many decades later, in 1789, President George Washington proclaimed it as a national holiday. Since then, traditions have started and grown throughout families, individually becoming different and unique in how they celebrate.
Sophomore Abby Luttrell travels down to Shawnee, Oklahoma to visit family on Thanksgiving Day. Her grandmother’s house is tiny, but “it couldn’t be more perfect” she says. Luttrell’s day consists of either playing football in the backyard or watching it on TV?, whether its by choice or not.
“It’s not even an option with the men in our family,” said Luttrell
As the family runs around the little house, Abby’s Grandma begins her “typical, southern, way-too-much butter kind of cooking.”. Her Grandma is the boss, so the other women wait to be instructed while Abby begins the dish she takes the most pride on, her green bean casserole.
During the cooking and all the excitement, the Luttrell family joins 50 million other people as they crowd around their TV to watch the Macy’s Day Parade. Luttrell explains that her favorite thing about any holiday is “spending time with my incredible family”. Thanksgiving day is a time for celebration and relaxation for the Luttrell family.
“It’s literally so easy to forget how wonderful the life God gave us is, and Thanksgiving is a great chance to really get to thank him for that,” said Luttrell.
Junior Mackane Burchfield wakes up before the sun rises on the morning of Thanksgiving to get in the stand before he scares the deer.
“I usually go with my grandpa just because it became tradition, but the whole family hunts that morning,” said Burchfield. His father, sister, and many cousins make their way down south to kill their game before they celebrate the holiday with a feast and their bird becomes one of the 46 million turkeys eaten on Thanksgiving Day.
Senior Grant Lancelot spends time with his family throughout the entire Thanksgiving day.
“We fry our turkey and we always watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together.” said Lancelot.
His mom’s side of the family comes into town to join in on their festivities. On the night of Thanksgiving, like every other year, some of his family join the other thousands of shoppers and partake in the Black Friday sales. Grant, however, decides not to accompany them most years.
“Normally my brother and I stay home Thanksgiving night and watch my little cousins while my parents and the rest of my family wait in line to go shopping Friday morning,” he said.
“It started off as a tradition in our old neighborhood and all of our neighbors went to play paintball the day after Thanksgiving,” said Lancelot. He and the rest of the boys go and play in an intense game of paintball while the women are shopping and cleaning up around the house from the day before.