The Season Of Giving

BY: MEAGHAN WASHINGTON

Thanksgiving is one of the greatest times in a college student’s life! We get to visit family we haven’t seen since we left for college, we take a mini-vacation from the drama that goes down in the residence halls, and of course, a home-cooked meal. I got a chance to speak with different students of the Albright community and they shared with me the different traditions that happen during the Holiday Season in their families.

For sophomore Darryl Hester, his aunt’s small apartment in South Jersey is where his huge family spends Thanksgiving. Darryl’s family is originally from North Carolina, so there’s nothing but soul food coming from his aunt’s kitchen. “At dinner, we have baked macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and deep friend turkey and a bunch of deserts.” But this year, Thanksgiving with Darryl’s family will be a little different this year. In January, Darryl lost his grandfather and this will be his family’s first Thanksgiving without him. To honor his memory, Darryl has taken the liberty to learn his grandfather’s secret recipe for sweet potato pie and will make 6 sweet potato pies for his family this year.  He says as the years pass on, he will one day perfect the recipe and make his pies as good as his grandfather’s once was.

In Willow Grove, PA, junior Mike Libor’s mother creates different themes each year for Mike and the rest of his family. This year is a competition between him and his cousins of who can make the best dessert and the judging will take place after dinner. Another tradition that takes place in the Libor household is the Turkey Day Book created by Mama Libor. The Turkey Day Book holds the details of what happened Thanksgiving Days past from who came to what food was served. Mike says each year his mother sends invitations to all his family members providing the menu and the event of the evening and when family members arrive, each is given a little rock and then writes what he or she is grateful for. All rocks are placed at each family member’s place setting at the table and then everyone goes around the table and reads their rock to shows their gratitude for family and tradition.

Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday that has been celebrated in the United States for centuries; however, senior Anesa Dilberovic’s family started celebrating Thanksgiving only two years ago.  Hailing from Croatia, Thanksgiving was not a tradition in her family, but after a while they decided to adopt the American tradition. Anesa’s family eats traditional Thanksgiving fixings like turkey, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and corn, but for desserts they maintain traditional Croatian pastries. They have orahnjaca, which is a conventional Croatian cake-like dessert filled with walnut, honey, milk filling, and vanilla. Another desert that is a favorite of Anesa’s family is rozata, a Croatian custard pudding simply made with milk, sugar, rum, and lemon zest. In Anesa’s family, they combine the simplicity of American dining and the traditions from Eastern Europe to make the perfect Thanksgiving.

At Albright, there are students from different backgrounds that have traditions that are sacred to their families that have been practiced for years. This holiday season, I honor them with this post and wish everyone at the College a safe, fun, and relaxing Thanksgiving.

Peace.