Thanksgiving has just come and gone. Which food was Peddie looking forward to the most? Let’s take a look at what Peddie was craving for this Thanksgiving!
Of the traditional American foods typically served for Thanksgiving dinner, it was a close battle between mashed potatoes and stuffing for the prestigious title of favorite Thanksgiving food. Winning three more votes than its close rival, mashed potatoes was voted as the favorite Thanksgiving food.
Runner ups? Stuffing came second, while pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes followed third and fourth. There were also two votes for macaroni and cheese and lobster — quite the interesting meal! So, if you’re wondering what to bring to your Thanksgiving potluck next year, perhaps bring some mashed potatoes, considering how beloved they are at Peddie!
Despite being an original American holiday, Thanksgiving can be celebrated many different ways as well. Here’s a look at how different cultures participate during this time:
Madame Letourneau loves celebrating Thanksgiving now that she lives in the U.S. In her family, she noted that they eat salad mixed with green apples, walnuts and blue cheese; baked duck with potatoes; and a hearty dessert of apple pie and plum clafoutis. Letourneau also has a tradition in her family where they make French toast for breakfast while they watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV on Thanksgiving morning.
Señor Ruiz typically eats turkey or roasted chicken on Thanksgiving day with baked potatoes and grilled vegetables. Thanksgiving is a precious holiday for Ruiz as it is a time to “celebrate with other people, so we gather with people we love and share histories and eat.” Ruiz also shared that his family enjoys a big salad every Thanksgiving. With big gatherings during this time, Ruiz also suggested members of the Peddie community make paella, a great Spanish dish sprinkled with seafood to serve for parties of more than ten people.
Mrs. Berrettoni explained that in her childhood, her family would always have veal ravioli to start off the meal and a large green salad – like Señor Ruiz – to end. For the main course, they would have the traditional turkey with “really good giblet gravy,” stuffing, steamed green beans and a variety of pies such as pumpkin or her aunt’s lemon meringue to conclude the delicious meal. Her traditions from her childhood transition to a typical American Thanksgiving meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, baked dressing in a casserole dish, green beans and homemade cranberry sauce with oranges and ginger. Pie persists as the dessert of the holiday, with chocolate torte being a favorite for Berrettoni’s daughter. Berretonni also shared some of her traditions like participating in the Turkey Trot and watching all the Thanksgiving episodes of “The West Wing.”
For Koreans, a holiday similar to Thanksgiving is Chuseok. During Chuseok, it is a time to give thanks to family and to reconnect with loved ones. For Stephanie Oh ’26, “the most Chuseok-core foods in my house are songpyeon, jeon and hangwa.”
From turkey to salad to seafood delights like lobster and jeon, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to enjoy countless delicious foods and cultures. Happy Thanksgiving and may the feasts begin!
