The Role of Food in Bringing Families Together

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will be celebrating in different ways, but one thing that is consistent in most celebrations is the role of food. Food bonds people together and displays a sense of love. Thanksgiving, like most holidays, revolves around food, family, and fun.

While most of us might imagine Thanksgiving as a meal of turkey, mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving food for some might be very different. Many of my friends, from various cultural backgrounds, all celebrate Thanksgiving with family very differently. Some have a “classic” Thanksgiving meal while others eat traditional cuisine to their culture like curry or pho. I asked my close friend, Jessica Nguyen, about what her family's Thanksgiving looks like.

She told me, “Thanksgiving traditions in my family involves my whole extended family heading over to my grandparents house and eating Vietnamese food that my grandma makes. Each of our families also bring a dish of [their] own, whether it be home made or restaurant take out. Food we typically eat on Thanksgiving include: pho, egg rolls, fried rice, spring rolls, seafood soup, and rice flour cakes filled with pork. Also, in an attempt to be somewhat stereotypically American, we buy a large ham from who knows where”.

My own family Thanksgiving usually consists of turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, sweet potatoes, pecan pie, and cherry-cranberry sauce. We do like to add our own twist on the classic menu by adding spices we would use in our everyday, traditional Lebanese food. My family loves to use Thanksgiving as a time to bond through cooking food together. Despite the different ways we spend the holidays, food and time with family and friends are common elements.

Happy Thanksgivings everyone!

#Thanksgiving #culture #food #family #holidays