Thanksgiving has been an American and Canadian tradition since 1621 when it was first celebrated. Now in our modern world, It is celebrated in many different ways by all kinds of people.
In 1621, the Plymouth colonists from England and the Native American Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies, according to History. From then on, it was calibrated yearly and declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln in 1863.
“I enjoy thanksgiving because it is a time to unwind and be with the people you love,” sophomore Lily Liao said, “I love to see everyone together as a family,”
Thanksgiving has historically been a holiday to give thanks for the people and things around you, according to Today. At Convent, there was a Thanksgiving “Flotilla” contest. The purpose of this is to create a fun and friendly competition, while demonstrating what you are thankful for, according to an email sent by Community Life Chair Michel Buckley
Students created floats in shapes and characters to represent things they are thankful for. Some examples of these were, floats dedicated to teachers and floats dedicated to friends.
“I love being able to create such fun projects with my friends,” sophomore Mallory Parent said, “I think that it is a fun and creative way to demonstrate our thanks and gratitude,”
Convent students get a one week Thanksgiving break for traveling and vacations, and to be with family and friends. This allows students to wind down and relax according to freshman Lela Nachury-Reif.
“I love that we get a week long break for thanksgiving,” Nachury-Reif said, “It gives me a great opportunity to relax and get away from school stress,”
Thanksgiving has been a tradition amongst Canadians and Americans for hundreds of years because of our ancestors gathering together, and this is important to the message of Thanksgiving according to Liao.
“Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday of mine because of how much it reminds me to be grateful and to gather with my family,” Liao said, “I look forward to celebrating this year.”
