Pumpkin pies as far as the eyes can see, the sweet-salty aroma of mashed potatoes being served, and the Detroit Lions religiously losing time after time again. All of these are thoughts that imminently pop into any Michigander’s head when the word Thanksgiving is thrown around.

With the holiday season quickly approaching, students and staff among FHC are thrilled to return to the yearly traditions that make holidays special to them. 

Junior Brenna Conner is eager to return to her time spent in the kitchen during the Thanksgiving holiday.

“At my mom’s, I eat with my step family and stepdad, and we cook all day and watch football,” Brenna said. “We love making dessert and pies together. It’s one of my favorite things to do with my mom. One time, we spent [around] two hours making an apple pie, and my sister dropped it on the floor.” 

There’s no doubt Thanksgiving is a time to indulge in all sorts of arrangements of food.

“I love eating and seeing family I wouldn’t normally get to see and celebrating,” Brenna said. “You have to have mashed potatoes and ham for sure” 

Like Brenna, many others often find themselves gushing over the holiday we call Thanksgiving not to mention the much-needed break from school the students at FHC need and want. 

A staple for most families is the yearly football game the Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving Day (sadly, they haven’t gotten much better over the years), but just like a yearly holiday, it’s a yearly losing game. Senior Jack Ballou knows this memory all too well.

“Every year, my family comes over, and we eat and watch the Lions play football. It’s kind of always been a thing because my dad loves the Lions,” Jack said. “It’s always funny seeing the fighting when the Lions always lose, and everyone gets really mad.” 

Jack explains that the Lions have been a huge part of his family’s tradition since before he can even remember. He aspires to carry out the same tradition when he has a family of his own and expresses that maybe one year, they can win a game for once. 

Straying away from the traditions the students at FHC know and love, the staff get a break from school as well. English teacher Anthony Sultini has his own traditions he recalls from when he was younger too.

“When I was younger, we used to go to my great aunt’s house,” Sultini said. “It was a great centralized meeting spot for everybody. Unfortunately, when you get older, some family traditions die off, but we always try to get together for at least one portion of the family for holidays.” 

As for current days, Sultini still loves to indulge in holiday traditions now that he has a family of his own. “We always travel because families move away, and it becomes more difficult over time.” 

From planes to cars to buses, the trips Sultini takes over the holidays make it all worth it. Nothing can compare to walking into a room filled with the smell of mouth-watering food.

“You have to have pies,” Sultini said. “You have to have a dutch apple, cherry, and pies galore. I’m a dessert freak; I don’t have to have all the other stuff, but if you give me a spread of food and a spread of dessert, I’ll probably go to dessert first.” 

Whether it’s staying at home and eating a nice meal with your family or traveling to be closer to your loved ones, Thanksgiving is a time to spend quality time with the people you love, and of course, indulge in those succulent meals 

“It’s a holiday, and you can’t have holidays without family,” Sultini said.