Every Thanksgiving and holiday season, millions of children are introduced to a variety of ways to celebrate what’s known as the biggest holiday in the month of November. All families celebrate differently or not at all, including young children. During my time at multiple schools, I asked students how they viewed the holiday itself and the importance of it.
Thanksgiving is known as being a national holiday in the United States and Canada that celebrates the harvest and the other blessings of the year. It Is always celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and is a time for family, feasting, and football. The holiday origins date back to 1621, when the Wampanoag people and the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Massachusetts shared a harvest feast. The foods most commonly eaten on Thanksgiving Day consist of cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey, a variety of pies, and more!
However, despite the origins, over many centuries different traditions and beliefs have manifested into what we know the holiday as today. I had an encouraging mission to interview children from different elementary schools in my area wishing to view the perspectives of different groups and learn about what Thanksgiving is like in the eyes of the youth. The first school I interviewed was the Bourbon County Preschool Head Start. I visited two classrooms and asked both classes different questions revolving around this exciting, upcoming holiday. The first question I had asked them was “What are you thankful for this holiday season?” Both groups of children were very eager to respond! From Ms. Krista’s class, students Owen, Zayln, and Matt all agreed that they are “thankful for their families, friends, their teachers”, and “skittles”! From the other class of preschool students, I heard from children named Aubrey, Axel, and Hunter that they are thankful for “IPads, toys, and Jesus”.
The next day, I interviewed Bourbon Central Elementary School students, two 5th grade boys who wanted to remain anonymous. Their response to what they are thankful for was “Family, and all of the food they make for us”, hearing from both the students from the previous day and the older students was an interesting experience to say the least–both were incredibly heartwarming and reassuring to know that the youth is being taught gratuity both at home and school.
Although, the school that had the most intriguing responses, in my opinion, was North Middletown Elementary School. Students Emet, Maddie, and Aria each told me how thankful they were for Jesus and God numerous times, along with their siblings, moms and dads, and pets. They each told me their own stories of the people or things they were thankful for and it was an incredibly touching experience.
Moreover, the next question I asked each of the students from all three schools was “What activities have you participated in for Thanksgiving?”, receiving responses including both things they have done at home and at school. Both classes from the Preschool collectively informed me that they will be crafting hand turkeys with thankful notes on them that will be hung up around their school. Bourbon Central Elementary School students answered that they have a “family reunion” and eat a good meal both at school and at home with their loved ones. And lastly, at Cane Ridge Elementary School, all three of the children I gathered together stated they will be eating a Thanksgiving dinner, “eat chicken legs”, and pie. They will also “sing songs and cook together”.
Finally, the last question I asked all groups of children was “What is the best part of Thanksgiving?” and their final answers were all remotely and adorably similar. All of the students quickly and eagerly stated that the absolute best part of their Thanksgiving Holiday is expressing their thankfulness to everyone around them, seeing their families, and the “yummy food!” Ultimately, these interviews are raw evidence of how enjoyable the youth seems to find Thanksgiving and how important it is to many that they are able to spend time with the people they love, and I believe their schools are doing an astounding job at helping them realize that.
