With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, the dinner menu for this year’s holiday feast is surely forming. Along with plans for a morning Turkey Trot and time spent with strange extended family members, a guarantee of the November holiday is the delicious food. This introduces the highly contested debate as to what Thanksgiving dish reigns supreme. Villanova students are no exception in having strong opinions on the matter.
While there are many staples to choose from, with even more variations available, many have grown up looking forward to their favorite dish every year. Sophomores Barrett Trig and Abby Thresher are partial to a rather common Thanksgiving dish.
“I’d have to go with mashed potatoes,” Trig said.
A theme amongst Villanova students was loyalty to the classics. While there may be more innovative renditions out there, you know what they say: “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Sophomore Bao Bui couldn’t agree more, unapologetically favoring the quintessential dishes of Thanksgiving.
“This may be basic, but I have to stay stuffing,” Bui said. “Or maybe Turkey.”
While most household staples are fairly well known, like turkey and mashed potatoes, some families do it a little differently. Many Villanova students enjoy unique adaptations of traditional dishes, incorporating their families culture and creativity into the menu.
Freshman Francesca Sanelli comes from a proud Italian family, and Thanksgiving is no exception.
“My favorite Thanksgiving food is stuffing, and my family makes it with sausage that we get from Queens, New York with Italian bread and celery,” Sanelli said. “My Nonna makes it.”
Like Sanelli, freshman Phoebe Gherad has grown up looking forward to a rather non-traditional Thanksgiving dish, originating from her grandfather’s Swiss background.
“My favorite Thanksgiving dish is Spätzle, which is a German noodle dish that my grandfather always makes, as they don’t really do Thanksgiving in Switzerland,” Gherad said. “Since we do in America, they have adapted their own traditions.”
While not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy Italian stuffing and German delicacies, canned cranberry sauce can still get the job done. As important as the delicious sides and desserts are, and they truly are, the day holds a much larger meaning for many. It is a time to make quality memories with loved ones, regardless of what is on the table. While not everyone celebrates, and certainly not in the same way, for Villanova students the break serves as a much needed hiatus from the stresses of school. Many eagerly await returning home and seeing their friends and family.
“My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is seeing my little cousins and just being able to relax and spend time with my family,” Sanelli said. “It’s what Thanksgiving is really about.”
