Blog: celebrating Thanksgiving as an International Student

Written by Student Content Shaper Natalie

A girl smiles widely at the camera

This Thursday (28 November) is Thanksgiving, a national holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada. I didn’t expect that fact to affect me, but I woke up Monday morning feeling a bit lonely. It’s the first holiday that I’m spending away from home. Yes, I’m sad to miss out on a delicious meal, but mostly I miss the heightened sense of togetherness and gratitude which permeates the whole week.  

However, being abroad doesn’t mean I have to miss out on that togetherness. It may look different than usual, but I have found ways to celebrate Thanksgiving this year as an international student living in the UK. 

Friendsgiving

This is the time in America when ‘Friendsgivings’ abound (celebrating Thanksgiving with your friends), the time for potlucks filled with friendly faces and exchanges of memories. For the first time this year, my friend group is scattered, so we decided to plan a video chat. Since we couldn’t have a potluck, we each made our own dinner (well, dinner for me and lunch for them thanks to the time difference). Even though we couldn’t all gather around a table together, we shared a meal in our own way.  

A group of friends picnic in the park on a sunny day.

Thanksgiving Feast

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without good food. In my flat, two of us are American, and we’ve decided to introduce the rest of our flatmates to the deliciousness of a Thanksgiving feast. A great way to combat feelings of loneliness during the holidays is to introduce your new friends to traditions from home, like a favourite family recipe. 

Reflections of gratitude

‘What do you want to be more grateful for?’ my friend Cory asked during our ‘Friendsgiving’ call. I hadn’t heard the question phrased that way before. It’s always ‘what are you grateful for,’ not ‘what do you want to be grateful for.’ It made me realize that gratitude is an action, a choice. I can choose to be grateful; I can make space for gratitude, despite the challenges and emotions that come with moving away from home. So, I took a few moments to write a list of lovely memories and reflect on my gratitude for each. 

Two girls smile at the camera in a dimly lit room.

Treasured memories from the past year

  • Singing to my baby cousin as he fell asleep in my arms
  • Watching an egret catch fish
  • Playing tag in the ocean with my friends Andrea and Cory
  • Cheering each other on at karaoke
  • Watching old movies with my grandmother

A girl points at the sea at the beach.

Simple actions based in gratitude, like making a list of lovely memories, is the simplest way of all to celebrate Thanksgiving abroad. I encourage you to take a few moments this week to reflect and practice gratitude. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

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