An International Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving may be an American holiday, but international students at Endicott have plans of their own—some involving turkey and stuffing, and some involving Mexico.

Compiled by Madison Schulman

The tradition of eating turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes every November is one of the core memories many Americans have throughout their lives. For international students at the Nest, however, the Thanksgiving holiday is a new tradition. We decided to ask our international Gulls about their plans for the break and what it’s like to experience a new holiday.

Krystian Jaks—Switzerland

 
I’ll be staying on campus because I have practice and games with my team (men’s ice hockey). But I’m looking forward to having a little extra free time as I am very busy with classes, on/off ice practice, and I work at the ice rink during the regular school weeks. My favorite part of the holiday will be spending more time with friends and eating Thanksgiving food. This is my second “official” Thanksgiving, so I now know what to expect and look forward to the big feast with friends.

Alice Corradino—Italy

 
I’m from Italy so we do not usually have this break, but my mom is coming to visit and we are going to Mexico. I am excited about seeing her and visiting a new country. My favorite part of the break will be spending time with my mom whom I don’t see much because of the distance, and my least favorite is that I will miss my roommate and friends. It is nice to have a break after all the exams, so I think it will be fun to have an extra break that I do not usually have.

Anna Maria Marchlewska—Poland

Since I have lived in the States for almost eight years now, Thanksgiving is not a new holiday anymore, but it is always nice to celebrate it and learn more about American culture. I always spend Thanksgiving with a family I lived with for over two years, and they always invite me for the holidays. They are like my second family. I always bake a pecan pie for Thanksgiving, so I am looking forward to baking it this year.

Percy Sibanda—Zimbabwe

I will be going to Vermont with my girlfriend and her family for Thanksgiving break. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving day and eating turkey! My favorite thing is getting to be around her family, while my least favorite thing is going to be the snow. It won’t be a new experience, as I did the same thing last year and had a blast. I love being around her family and on Thanksgiving there are a lot of food options to choose from which is what I enjoy the most.

Lucia Vidal-Aragon—Spain

This Thanksgiving, my plan is to go to a friend’s aunt and uncle’s house that I met here at Endicott. She is from Panama but her aunt and uncle live in New Jersey. I am most looking forward to disconnecting from college work, spending time with my friend and her family, and getting to know a new city. My favorite part of the holiday will be spending time with my friend and eating homemade food. My least favorite part will be not being able to spend the holidays with my family. I think this holiday will help me get to know how they live in this country and get to know more about the culture.