Thanksgiving is traditionally the time to reflect on what the past year has given someone, and going into the subsequent holiday season is the time to think about what could be different for the following year. While the holiday of Thanksgiving is widely known for this notion, the actual holiday’s origins have caused controversy over time, with people realizing that there was more to the story than what they were told. Even with this in mind, Thanksgiving is a widely celebrated and accepted holiday that millions of people look forward to each year.
One of the main appeals of Thanksgiving lies in the fact that it is a holiday that celebrates family and friends and one’s connection with them. So with that, millions of people come together with their families to celebrate each other and their successes.
Thanksgiving is also a precursor to the Christmas holiday, as well as starts the holiday season altogether, so many families will use those opportunities for these celebrations. The uniqueness of this holiday is that, along with gathering around with family members to give thanks for what the year has given them, Thanksgiving is also associated with the harvest. This is also associated with the influence of the Native American tribes that were in the country. These influences also led to the creation of harvest festivals.
With Thanksgiving being widely celebrated in the United States and being a federal holiday, it allows people all across the country to get together. And considering that it impacts entities such as schools, the staff and students are able to take a break and be able to celebrate with their families, whichever way they choose to do so.
The students of Rowan University have a lot of things that they are thankful for, many of these being tied to what the core themes of the holiday are supposed to be.
Shaelee Figueroa, 23, who is a studio arts major with a graphic design concentration, shares a similar sentiment towards the values that the holiday is supposed to represent, with a bit more catered to her life as a student.
“I’m thankful for my family and for almost completing the fall semester with success,” said Figueroa.
The Thanksgiving break that university students get is a precursor to the winter break at the end of the semester. This dynamic almost mirrors how the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays cooperate with each other’s values, as many students are going back to spend time with their families after a while. Familial support has also been shown to be important in keeping college students grounded while they are away from home.
Maddie Jones is a junior communication major who shares very similar feelings of gratefulness towards her family as Figueroa, as well as how important her creativity is.
“I’ve been thankful for my friends, obviously my family [as well], and the ability to create things I enjoy,” said Jones.
For Ally Townsend, 19, who studies graphic design, her health is of importance to her during the season.
“I’m thankful for staying healthy throughout the holiday season,” said Townsend.
It’s not uncommon for people to get sick when going home during the holiday season, as the weather is constantly changing, which can affect many people’s bodies in different ways, with catching a cold being the most common.
Even with the history of Thanksgiving not being particularly pleasant, people still find it in themselves to create a positive outcome. There are many things one can be thankful for, but along with the core values of the holiday season, sharing all of your blessings with the people you love only enhances all of it.
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