Thanksgiving is a holiday that is not celebrated by all, due to its deep American roots. However, this past week, the foreign exchange students at Lake Central all had a chance to experience their first Thanksgiving.

“It was great. It was very American. I learned about the turkey and stuff in English class, so it was really fun to [experience] it for real. It was awesome,” Charlotte Micheletti (12) said.

Each student experienced an American Thanksgiving, including some of customs that were unique to them.

“I ate a lot of turkey and ham and watched football,” Jiri Reisner (12) said.

While some customs can be viewed as unfamiliar and odd to the exchange students, one of the most unique traditions included the array of Thanksgiving food.

“Stuffing [is weird]. [Also,] we don’t have turkeys. You can buy a slice in a shop, but we don’t have the big turkey, and we don’t have [slow cookers]. My mom doesn’t even know what one of those are, so that was weird for me,” Elena Kostner (11) said.

The students celebrated their Thanksgivings at their host homes, while others celebrated with their host families in a different setting for the holiday.

“We went to Wisconsin, to [my host] mother’s mother’s house. First we played some games, [then] we ate,” Kostner said.

After they experienced their first Thanksgiving, the students explained what they enjoyed most.
“The food [was my favorite part]. I think it’s a favorite of everybody,” Micheletti said.