Kean students prepare for Thanksgiving break

By Jennifer Balsa | Published by November 19, 2020

It is that time of the year again when the leaves begin to change color and the sun starts to come down earlier in the day. The smell of pumpkin spice invades the air as all the fall decorations begin to flourish all over the retail seasonal aisles. We make a list of our closest relatives and send out the invitations for the upcoming holidays.

Thanksgiving is one of the most expected holidays of the year, specially by students who are away from their families and anxiously wait for the Thanksgiving break to go back home and visit their loved ones. This year, as every other holiday, Thanksgiving celebrations will have to take a spin.

With the COVID-19 cases on the rise, the CDC advises that the festivities are kept to a minimum this holiday season. What in previous years would have been a gathering of extended families and friends, is now being restricted to immediate family members. It is advised to not travel for the upcoming celebrations and try to make the best out of the holiday season from the comfort of our homes.

For Kean University students, this Thanksgiving will be a chance to rest from all the semester hassle and spend some quality time with their loved ones.

“I will celebrate at home with my mother, father and siblings,” senior, Business major, Janice Rodas said.

Rodas stated that in previous years, it has been tradition that her mother hosts Thanksgiving at her house but this year they are afraid of inviting such an extensive family over to just one house. Rodas is of Ecuadorian background, a culture in which family is extremely valued.

“It would be rude to invite some family members and not the others,” Rodas said.

Therefore her family opted to have a virtual Thanksgiving dinner. Rodas has a great grandmother who is 97 years old and she must be cared for at such a delicate time. Rodas’ family will exchange traditional dishes by delivering them to each other’s houses while following the appropriate protocol.

“I’m most excited to eat encebollado this year,” Rodas said.

“Encebollado” is an Ecuadorian dish that consists of a tuna soup along with other condiments. Although turkey will be served since it is the American traditional dish to eat on Thanksgiving, some Hispanic cultures also opt to have some other side options to remind them of home. She also says that she and her siblings will be making apple pie as a dessert in order to still have that shared time with her family.

Although traveling by plane is high risk this season, traveling by car is the safest way to go about it. Communications major Kay Patel is expecting to drive to North Carolina with her parents to spend the weekend at her aunt’s house for Thanksgiving. Patel has an Indian background but most of her family lives in North Carolina.

Her parents plan to stock up on snacks for the drive and listen to typical Indian music to make the best time out of the trip.

“I am in charge of cooking the chicken curry this year,” Patel said. “I would not like to break the family tradition of spending the holidays together.”

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