Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated in a variety of ways around the world in different countries and the traditional turkey and stuffing that you might associate with the celebration is not always the standard meal for people of different ethnicities.

“We have rice, beans, cheesecake for dessert, everyone just brings their own things. We eat tamales also, and my favorite meal is turkey in mole poblano the way that my mom makes it at least,” said junior Melanie Cervantes.

Cervantes also mentioned how many people attend their Thanksgiving celebration, and said that “anyone can really come, people bring friends and family, it’s kind of open to anyone who wants to eat.”

Shawna Delatore, a junior at JCHS, is of Philippine descent. Her family also has a Thanksgiving tradition that diverts from the traditional turkey feast.

“We normally cook a ton of food, some longganisa, lechon, but my favorite thing we eat is definitely adobo, which is pork covered in garlic and vinegar and soy sauce. A whole lot of people show up for our Thanksgiving dinner too, like one big party. We all just eat and have fun,” Delatore said.

While we have a very diverse culture here at JCHS, there are still families that host a traditional turkey Thanksgiving feast as portrayed in television. English teacher Elizabeth Hegler’s holiday involves many typical midwestern American Thanksgiving traditions.

“Uh, I don’t really know what to say, we do the regular stuff, I guess. We eat turkey and stuffing and we watch the Macy’s Day Parade on TV. It is really not that different from everyone else’s Thanksgiving I imagine,” Hegler said.

SET secretary Damaris Nieves was asked what her Thanksgiving traditions were. Her Thanksgiving isn’t focused so much on what they prepare but it’s more about who the holiday is spent with. They all help out.

“Well, our families all eat together, each one of us has to make a dish by ourselves, so my son makes one, my husband makes one and I make one and then I make other ones too. Also we sit at the table and we have an empty chair for all the soldiers who cannot eat with their families on Thanksgiving. My favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving is definitely ham, I really like it.”