Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) students represent over 80 countries and 50 states. This year, some students far from home are experiencing the holiday in the United States for the first time, while others, who are choosing to wait until Christmas to go home, are finding new ways to celebrate.
The sweet yet subtle scent of warm spices blesses you with its long-awaited presence. A heavenly banquet filled with all your favorite things: the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, and the star of the show—the turkey. Laughter fills the room, and a smile slowly comes across your face as you witness the love surrounding you.
With just one bite of a warm pumpkin pie, you suddenly find yourself immersed in these memories once again. How can one simple holiday bring such joy and contentment not only to one’s taste buds, but to one’s heart?
Family Traditions
For many college students spending Thanksgiving away from home due to expensive flights, those familiar scents and flavors are more than just food; they are memories of love, belonging, and home. Annual meals and traditions hold a deeper meaning for these students.
When pre-health biology freshman Jasmine Vega was asked about her favorite Thanksgiving memory, she recalls her family joining her church to give food to families in need. She holds this memory close, as it was a time she and her family reflected on the deeper meaning of the holiday.
Marketing sophomore Brooke Jones recalls the annual pie contests she hosted with her family, each determined to out-bake the other with their flakiest crust or sweetest filling. These traditions were central to the holiday memories that shape how they celebrate Thanksgiving today.
A Time for Gratitude
Jones believes the holiday is a “great time to take a step back, come together, and really sit in that gratitude.”
Many times, people find themselves moving through each day simply checking off boxes. Rarely do they pause to reflect on the blessings they have been given and the family they get to share them with.
A mere pumpkin pie made by a grandmother takes on a deeper meaning when one truly “sits in that gratitude,” says Jones.
Even something as simple as “knowing your family is there,” as Vega describes while imagining herself in the kitchen preparing her famous Thanksgiving stuffing—the aroma of sage and butter filling the room—can bring a rich sense of grounding.
Thanksgiving Isn’t Just Food, It’s Memories
Even when family gatherings aren’t possible for whatever reason, students find other ways to make the holiday meaningful.
Vega believes the season is a time to “find the traditions you want to start,” whether that’s spending the holiday with friends or simply trying out a new recipe.
For international students at PBA, the International Student Services Office hosts a “Friendsgiving” meal during the week of Thanksgiving, inviting students to a table of new traditions. Gathering to partake of the unfamiliar dishes that have bonded American families throughout generations creates a sense of togetherness and gratitude that makes any table feel like home.
Because in the end, Thanksgiving isn’t simply a meal—it’s a memory. And every time students taste those holiday dishes, they are reminded that home is never as far away as it may feel.
To learn more about student life at PBA, visit pba.edu/campus-life/.
