Celebrating Gratitude: Thanksgiving Traditions at AIS

Above: Featured donation baskets created by secondary school advisories

Did you know that “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a special holiday celebrated throughout the United States, bringing friends and family together to show gratitude—not just for food, but especially for the people around us. The first Thanksgiving was a harvest festival held in 1621 by English colonists and Native Americans. It became a national holiday in 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving. This year, it falls on November 27, 2025, and, as always, the school organized for each advisor to decorate and fill a basket with goods and food to give to those in need, ensuring everyone in our community has a memorable Thanksgiving. Thanks to the Thanksgiving basket drive, we delivered 63 boxes, each carefully decorated and filled with food for a delicious holiday meal. The advisories nominated for the best-decorated box from sixth grade to seniors were Morales, Erwin, Doyle, Vela, Fowler, Kotowich, and Ugarte, respectively.

Now, moving on to how Thanksgiving is traditionally celebrated today: the main course is turkey with gravy on the side. After that, there are plenty of side dishes such as mashed potatoes, vegetable dishes, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole, and for dessert, the classic pumpkin pie and apple

pie. If you or your family are vegan or vegetarian, there are other options for the main dish, like Lentil Loaf, Wellington, Stuffed Squash, Whole Roasted Cauliflower, or Shepard’s Pie. As good as the food may be, Thanksgiving is not just about enjoying a meal or enduring awkward family dinners; it’s also about showing thanks, which is the most important part that people sometimes forget. You could be grateful for anything in your life—your parents, your house, your room, your very annoying siblings, or your friends. It’s important to acknowledge it, and this is a day that reminds you and lets you do so, surrounded by people you love.

And lastly, here are my top ten Thanksgiving movies: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Thanksgiving (2023 horror film), Addams Family Values, Hannah and Her Sisters, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Home for the Holidays, Planes, Trains and Automobiles (rated R), The Humans (rated R), Grumpy Old Men, and Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow.