With Thanksgiving coming up, it’s time to look at some of the most unique and coolest festivities that students at Atholton participate in over the holiday. Here’s the top five, ranked from most common to least common.
#5. Watching Football
Because Thanksgiving arrives when the NFL is hitting its stride, most people know that football is the ultimate Thanksgiving sport. It’s been a NFL tradition since their inaugural season in 1920 to have at least three games on Thursday. Atholton junior Donald Robinson said every Thanksgiving, he and his entire family sit down to watch football along with eating. He added that it gets chaotic because “my uncle and his family are Redskins fans, and then on the other side are the Giants fans, and then the rest of us are Cowboys fans.” He said that because of those NFL rivalries, “we get into a lot of verbal altercations.” With NFC East football being a staple of Thanksgiving NFL, it’s easy to see why this would be a tradition with the Robinsons and many other families.
#4. Visiting a Hotel in DC
Although traveling to visit family is a common theme on Thanksgiving, Atholton chemistry teacher Ms. Lindsey’s version of travel is slightly less common. According Ms. Lindsey, her family would celebrate their Thanksgiving in DC at a very fancy Wyndham hotel. She added that they “rent out a couple suites in the hotel,” and that within the suites, there’s a piano, along different rooms. She also said the dinner is “very formal,” and her family members from all across the country join them.
#3. Going to Hershey Park
This entry is easily one of the most appealing traditions. According to Atholton teacher secretary Jamie Melcher, when she was younger, she and her family used to drive up to York, Pennsylvania, to have their Thanksgiving dinner with her family and friends. She added that they would then to go to Hershey Park after their Thanksgiving dinner. However, they experienced Hershey in a rather unconventional way. Melcher said that she and her family didn’t go on rides since the rides were closed at the time. Instead, she said they would “walk around the park and look at the Christmas lights.”This is a fun way to celebrate a holiday which falls at the very start Christmas season.
#2. Making a “Trashcan Turkey”
Although most people partake in their Thanksgiving dinner at home, or in a family member’s house, Atholton junior Jay Desmarais and his family do something completely different. Jay said every Thanksgiving, he and his family go to a campsite outside to enjoy their dinner, cooking their turkey outside as well. They have a “trashcan turkey,” meaning they put charcoals around a metal trashcan, put a turkey in it, then light the charcoals on fire tocook the turkey. To finish off their night, the Desmarais family camps in their cabin.
#1. Doing a Playground Workout
This was something no one could’ve seen coming. Atholton senior Sean Shields said that, last year, after their Thanksgiving dinner, he and his family went out to a playground to work out. He, his dad, half sister, and brothers all did “calisthenic” exercises like “pullups, dips, and pushups.” Although last year was the first year they tried it, he said that they may go back and do it again this year after eating their dinner.
As you can see from the list above, the Atholton community has a pretty diverse cast of traditions when it comes to Thanksgiving.