As you’re curled up in (your childhood) bed, watching the Macy’s Day Parade on TV or helping out in the kitchen, you may start to wonder what your Penn State friends are up to.
Everyone has their own favorite parts about going home for the week – so we asked our staff what they most look forward to.
“My favorite things about T-giving are that it is a great time [and] excuse to splurge on cute thank you cards, give hugs and say otherwise cheesy, but not false, things to the people I love and care about. And the marked-down clothes and shoes during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping craze. I wish it were more like this all year round.” Kasumi Hirokawa, writer
“My favorite part of Thanksgiving day is my family’s ‘thankful’ tradition. We cut out a large bald turkey from poster board and everyone gets two construction paper feathers. On the feathers, we draw what we were thankful for that year and then each person gets up and shares their feathers, pins them on the turkey. Each person either ends up in laughter or tears but either way it’s always the most memorable part of my Thanksgiving each year. We save all the turkeys from each year and pull them out to reflect on what we were thankful for in the past. Somehow a Penn State paw seems to make it onto a feather each year … ” Samantha McCloskey, stylist
“My thanksgiving family tradition is that we all like to sleep in and then watch the ‘National Best In Show Dog Show.’ My family has three Boston Terriers and even though the Boston Terrier never wins the show, we still get excited and have a fun time!” Erica Kasan, editor
“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is actually after the holiday. My mom and I are serious Black Friday shoppers and wake up at 4 a.m. to hit the stores for the best deals. It’s so much fun raiding the stores on a mission and just hanging out together.” Christina Recino, writer
“Every year on Thanksgiving, my family watches the movie ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ to kick off the Christmas season. We have every line
memorized!” Leah Polakoff, editor“For the last few years, my favorite part of Thanksgiving has simply been being home! The break from school, eating delicious food and being around my crazy, rambunctious family is a much-needed breath of fresh air.” Caitlyn Kronket, editor
“My entire family comes to my house and helps cook. Twenty-four of us sit down at one table together and instead of saying grace we go around and say one thing we are thankful for. “ Jill Podhor, photographer
Photo by Tyler Hankins