Thanksgiving is the epitome of the fall season. As the orange and brown leaves fall down to the ground, watching football games and viewing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade are classic activities that many Americans participate in and commonly enjoy. However, a wide majority can all agree that the standout highlight of every autumn feast is the evening dinner. Dishes of all sorts just waiting to delight the taste buds of millions, happily followed by dessert—this is the ideal Thanksgiving of most. Filled with uniquely different foods, this allows for a wide variety of delicacies to grace the plate of many Downey High School students.

     When people envision a Thanksgiving meal, the first thing imagined is turkey or ham, paired with iconic side dishes such as mashed potatoes, corn bread, and green beans. Sophomore Hannah Drow is an anomaly to this tradition, eating something a little more closer to Italy rather than Plymouth, Massachusetts. “In my family, we eat pasta and garlic bread. There’s no real reason why though. We just get it cause we like Olive Garden,” stated Drow. “Overall, I don’t eat stuff everyone else normally does. I’ve never had like steak or BBQ or a hot dog or anything like that.”

    On the other hand, Brittney Espinoza, 10, sticks to the classics while participating in the cooking process. “This year, we are going to eat ham with mashed potatoes and corn. For the dessert, cheesecake, apple pie and pumpkin pie are on the menu” expressed Espinoza. “It’s fun helping out because I get to taste a little bit of everything, especially the ham as my sister makes it the best, before everyone else does.”

     Even after the festivities, the love for food continues seeing as how a Harris Poll states that 8 out of every 10 people believe that the best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Valeria Ramirez, 10, agrees with the previous statement, thinking of the satisfaction that comes with the following days. “The day before and the day of, you put so much work into creating a bunch of tamales with all my tias and relatives,relatives” said Ramirez. “It’s just so nice having enough food for the days after and not having to cook.”

     Despite having so many different customs based on Thanksgiving dinner, DHS students can all bond over spending amazing quality time with family.