By MariaJose Fernandez
The scent of apple cinnamon candles, delicious pumpkin pie, and the cozy neutral sweaters are the textures and smells of Thanksgiving Day.
This day was made to cherish, give thanks and enjoy one’s time with family. But behind every holiday is a story that gives meaning to a celebration or memorable day.
Thanksgiving Day is an American holiday that was made to commemorate a harvest feast in 1621 shared by pilgrims and the native Wampanoag people. They came together for dinner to give thanks accompanied by traditional indigenous dishes like corn, turkey, and tomatoes.
But to families and groups of friends today, the roots and history are often disregarded. Thanksgiving now connects families across the country in togetherness, gratefulness, and food. As the busiest travel holiday of the year, it is a time to bond with family and count all your blessings.
Many students during this season travel distances to spend time with their families. Others have to stay on campus due to being a long distance from home as well as the proximity of Christmas holiday.
This is the case for Ella Wallfur Skiljic, a sophomore majoring in business.
“I am from Sweden, I can’t really travel to see my family or any relatives, so I must stay here. I will spend it with friends,” she said.
Although Skiljic is not a native of the U.S., she said that she is thankful for her friends and family that she has far away.
“They are very supportive; I can always go to them for anything. I am also thankful for the opportunity to be where I am," Skiljic said.
Samuel Xu, a first-year student in podiatric medicine said, “I am grateful to be in Miami, to have the opportunity to study medicine and for my friends and family.”
Sabrina Gomez, a freshman majoring in biology, also believes that the opportunity to study at Barry is enough to be thankful.
“I'll be traveling just here in South Florida. I'm grateful to be able to study and pursue my career. I am studying biology, but I want to be a veterinarian,” she said.
Jayda McCrea, a sophomore nursing student, said she is grateful for her intelligence and hopes it will bring her far.
“I’m not too sure yet if I am going to travel but, if I do, I will go to New York,” she said.