Thanksgiving in DC and Baltimore

Like many students participating in The Washington Center this fall, I decided to stay in Washington, DC for the Thanksgiving holiday. I was actually surprised by the number of students who stayed in the DC area. I agreed with several students'opinion that it would be a tease to go home before the ending of the program. Those who decided to stay in the area enjoyed the good food involved with the holiday.

Thanksgiving festivities started on Wednesday with the Housing and Student Life Department’s International Thanksgiving Bash in the Fenestra Building. Many students came to the event and brought their cultural dishes. It was great to have a pre-Thanksgiving dinner consisting of a rather large turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, apple and pumpkin pies, and a Mexican chip dip among several other dishes. I enjoyed listened to music, playing pool and catching up with fellow Washington Center students.

On Thanksgiving Day, I went to Baltimore to have dinner with my aunt, uncle, cousins and other members of my family who live on the East Coast. I am glad I had the opportunity to share Thanksgiving with family because I believe that is the essence of the holiday. I was especially happy to have home-cooked Nigerian food because that is something I have been missing since August. My aunt’s family did something different that I would love to bring to my home next year for Thanksgiving. We all took turns around the table to say what we are thankful for. I found this fun and interesting because it makes you more grateful for the holiday.

After completely stuffing myself with numerous plates of food, I returned to DC that evening. Upon returning to Grosvenor, I was curious to see what everyone else was doing to celebrate. I loved the diversity in the way people chose to celebrate Thanksgiving. I went upstairs to a friend who admitted to never having turkey for Thanksgiving. Instead I saw tables filled with Greek dishes that were home-made and well-prepared. This resulted in me having a second, or must I say a third, Thanksgiving dinner because the food looked too good to turn my back to. I ended up falling fast asleep after joining other students in enjoying the food-filled holiday.

Thanksgiving Dinner