With Thanksgiving right around the corner, preparations have begun for the annual feast. While most holidays are full of traditions, Thanksgiving especially is filled with yearly rituals. Foods like turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes are usually present at most families’ meals, however, the location of the meal varies from house to house.
When envisioning a classic Thanksgiving dinner, people often think of eating within the comfortable setting of a relative’s home. You enter the house to see a long wooden table, adorned with fall colored decorations and the usual Thanksgiving specialties.
Eating this meal at home seems to be the more typical approach to the holiday. Some families have one or two relatives that do all of the cooking, and others have a potluck style dinner, where a handful of relatives bring dishes to contribute to the table.
“The amount of people that are at my grandma’s house on Thanksgiving is overwhelming, but it’s nice to all be together to celebrate the holiday. Every guest brings a dish so that no one person has to do all of the cooking, because there are so many people,” said sophomore Danielle Tawfik.
Thanksgiving is a time for the whole family to gather together, and while it may be more unusual to see a family gathering a restaurant rather than a house, many restaurants prepare for this holiday, and offer a Thanksgiving menu.
“We went into the city and decided to try something new. We ate the same kind of food as we did when we would stay home, such as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, only this time the cooking was already done,” said sophomore Alexis Karmel.
Restaurants right in Port Washington, offer Thanksgiving menus. On November 28th, the Port Diner will have a Thanksgiving price fixe menu, which customers will be able to order from. This menu will include traditional Thanksgiving specialties, and will include dessert as well. In order to purchase food from this menu, you do not have to make a reservation, however. You may order from the regular menu as well, if you are not in the mood for turkey.
Ayhan’s Shish Kebab approaches Thanksgiving a little differently because it is closed on that date. The Mediterranean Market, which sits next door to Shish Kebab, prepares food for Thanksgiving that can be ordered and picked up in advance before the holiday. This way, a family can sit at home and eat a delicious meal without dealing with the stress of preparing it.
Some are familiar to both types of Thanksgiving gatherings, and switch off from year to year. Coming together within a relative’s home has the benefit of spending the holiday in a more personal and comfortable setting. Eating at a restaurant can surely be just as welcoming as a fire-lit home, and it also excludes the time and energy it takes to prepare a meal on your own.
This year’s Thanksgiving will be just as joyful as the rest. Whether you are sitting in your grandmother’s home or are gathering around a table at a restaurant, the delectable food and loving family is the blessing you should be thankful for.