Thanksgiving from a perspective of different cultures
Most people would argue that food takes center stage on Thanksgiving. With the holiday just a few weeks away, The Bulletin explored some of the unique dishes and traditions enjoyed by Toros.
One of the most popular dishes people cook during this celebration are turkey, smashed potatoes, green beans etc. There are many different cultures and each of these cultures tend to celebrate this holiday by adding their own touches to the foods on the table.
“My family usually gets together and all the moms and dads cook one dish each, so this way we have more than enough food on the table,” said junior kinesiology student Daniel Robertson.
“For activities, we start off by mentioning what we are thankful for and why we are thankful,” Robertson said.“After that we tend to have kids play games for all my little cousins and also adult games for moms and dads.”
One of the most important things about Thanksgiving is the diversity it brings to every community. The holiday brings together friends and family who may not often see each other during the rest of the year.
“We make everything from ham, turkey, chicken, greens, cornbread and macaroni and cheese,” said junior Jalen Carter. “My favorite dish is macaroni and cheese because it is super good in my opinion, but chicken is a close second.”
Many people have different choices of food and for some families turkey is not on the menu, because they eat traditional food from their countries. That makes them feel closer to their country and culture.
“We replace turkey with chicken, we try to cook southern food like macaroni and cheese and ribs but we also make african dishes such as sauce d’arachide, fufu, and galette,” said sophomore political science student Rich Williams.
Families throughout the years have adapted their own traditions and foods to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday is a good opportunity for others to get to know other cultures, customs and try different types of food.
“When we were all kids my grandma used to marinate a huge chunk of beef and start the cooking process early in the morning,” said senior Masaki Shoda, who is a study abroad student from Japan.“The spices she used were strong and the whole house smelled delicious.”
There is no doubt Thanksgiving has the potential to showcase the best aspects of any culture.