To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate: Thanksgiving from a Student’s Perspective

For many Americans, the last Thursday in November is a time we spend in celebration of Thanksgiving. We gather, eat food, maybe watch American football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and revel in the company of our loved ones. But for those of us abroad, our Thanksgivings, or possibly lack thereof, looks a little different.  

Thanksgiving is an American and Canadian holiday rooted in colonization. It dates to Fall 1621 a year after the English Settlers landed in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. Suffering many hardships of their first New England winter, the Settlers received help from a member of the Pawtuxet tribe, Squanto who spoke English. He taught the Settlers how to find, grow, harvest, and store food to survive the harsh seasons. After their first harvest, Squanto helped create a peace treaty between the Settlers and the indigenous Wampanoag people. The first Thanksgiving marked the beginning of this alliance through a three-day festival and meal sharing their harvest. However, the peace treaty quickly fell, making way for centuries of war and death between the two groups.  

Today, Thanksgiving is recognised as a national holiday but means polarising things to different Americans and Native Americans. Some recognise Thanksgiving as a “National Day of Mourning” to call out the painful past people may ignore, or states may not even teach. For other’s Thanksgiving is just a time to maybe acknowledge all you are thankful for, but more importantly, have a day off work and gather for a yummy meal. 

Since I’ve moved to London, Thanksgiving has just become any other Thursday during the term as I carry on with my day-to-day here. While I celebrated and loved thanksgiving growing up, it was never for any of the traditional values or meant much to my family or me. Instead, I’ve always seen it as a reason to eat my favourite foods, have days off from school, and spend time with my cousins. Now, it means even less and is just a day where the homesickness hits me.  

Even though I do not celebrate, it doesn’t mean all Americans here at Richmond are the same. Third year Richmond student and Student Government President, Anthony Mata, said he has celebrated Thanksgiving all three years here in London, explaining “these Thanksgivings were not about the idea of Thanksgiving, but just because someone was throwing a party that day and invited me… A lot of my [American] friend group [celebrate], but also a lot of non-Americans… to Americans here Thanksgiving is just an excuse to have a nice dinner.” Mata concluded saying, “It really means nothing to me. Even when I was younger.” 

On the other hand, fourth year Richmond student, Jayden Cates shared my sentiment saying, “No, I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving… I don’t really have time, especially because we don’t get the day off or anything, so it’s like on a random Thursday.” 

In the end, as Americans living abroad, the decision to celebrate thanksgiving or not is not a universal one. As see on our own campus, it differs student to student, where even non-Americans may choose to participate.