With Thanksgiving right around the corner, both students and teachers at WCHS are preparing to celebrate the holiday with their annual traditions. For most students, the usual Thanksgiving feast with turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie will take place on November 24. However, there are also those who decide to celebrate their holiday a little differently, incorporating what may seem like quirky and unusual traditions into their celebrations.

Most families preheat their kitchen oven to 325 degrees, throw the turkey in and wait for it to be fully cooked before taking it out. However, Ms. Glazer tends to cook her turkey a different way to give her dinner a twist.

“I use a Weber Grill to cook my turkey in order to give it a better taste and a crispier skin,” Glazer said. “My family has been keeping up with this tradition for a few years now in order to grill turkey just how we like it.”

Cooking a meal outside allows for Glazer to make a fire in her fire pit, put on her puffy winter jacket and eat outside with nature as her entertainment. Instead of eating at the dinner table, her family is able to relax and unwind by making their Thanksgiving casual.

Although Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday, students from different backgrounds choose to incorporate diverse cultures into their meals and traditions in order to appreciate all of their worlds. 

“During Thanksgiving, we have different varieties of Persian dishes,” WCHS senior Sanaz Wyckoff said. “Some of these include Zereshk Polo and Tadig, which means crunchy rice.”

Wyckoff is also able to introduce her friends that go to WCHS to different trends and foods that they might not be familiar with. She shares that her family prays in order to show her appreciation for the food that they have.

“Before we eat our dinner every year, we say ‘Good god, good meat, good food, let’s eat,’” Wyckoff said. “This is a reminder of the appreciation we have for the food on our table and to be with loved ones.”

Wyckoff believes that being grateful for the opportunities we are blessed with can be taken for granted sometimes, and people might forget to embrace it during the holiday. While making these Persian dishes in the kitchen, she is able to remember great times she spends. 

WCHS senior Sophia Duncan also spends the holiday with her family, enjoying customs that have been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. 

“My family has dinner at a diner the day of Thanksgiving,” Duncan said. “The next day, we eat traditional Thanksgiving dinner at home.”

This tradition allows Duncan to extend her holiday while having the foods she enjoys the most. She is able to spend more time over break with the family, giving her a break during a busy last year of high school. 

WCHS senior Aaron Michaels also spends time with his friends during the holiday, playing a sport that they are all fond of.

“My friends and I go to Hadley’s Park every year to play football,” Michaels said. “It is an enjoyable group activity where we can spend time with one another.” 

Just like Michaels, several friends might have their own traditions that they have been partaking in throughout their time at WCHS. Celebrating the holidays with their closest friends is an important part of how they celebrate their fall holidays.

Whether it’s watching a Thanksgiving parade or making the holiday fun in a unique and different way, students at WCHS can feel united with their community as everyone celebrates the American holiday for a common reason – to be with loved ones.

“I enjoy being with my husband and family while chit-chatting and catching up with each other,” Glazer said. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to realize how grateful I am for everything.”