A day to come together, Thanksgiving dates back to 1621. It is best known as a day full of delicious food, but Thanksgiving involves all the components of a perfect holiday. You get to eat wonderful food, spend time with family and friends, and you don’t even have to leave the house. Every family has its own unique traditions, but watching football with your family and eating savory food like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie are some of my favorites. No matter how you celebrate, Thanksgiving is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. Who wouldn’t love a holiday centered around different types of food? There is a dish for everyone: delicious juicy turkey, stuffing, creamy mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and many more. 

My favorite part of Thanksgiving food is not only the food but the tradition that comes with it. There have been many cherished recipes passed down from my ancestors that my family makes every year for Thanksgiving. With these recipe traditions, I have been taught how to create these special dishes like my grandma’s famous pumpkin pie. There are so many different recipes and dishes you can make for Thanksgiving, and you can alter your Thanksgiving traditions in any way you want to. 

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is you can eat as much as you please without being questioned. Thanksgiving food produces the best kind of leftovers. You can make many different things from Thanksgiving leftovers, from soups to turkey sandwiches. 

On the day of Thanksgiving at my house, the savory smell of the turkey cooking in the oven lingers around the house all day, while my grandma and I are in the kitchen cooking up the many traditional dishes used every holiday season. Tablespoons of butter melting in the mashed potatoes, the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven, and the smells coming from the kitchen are all reminders of the feast we get to enjoy around six o’clock. 

Once my grandmother calls everyone for dinner, each sibling has to help carry multiple casseroles and dishes to the long dining room table. We all sit down at the table and get to eat what we have been waiting for. I put every dish on my plate and drench it all in the warm, creamy gravy, mixing the different dishes together to get a burst of flavor in my mouth. The mashed potatoes with a slice of turkey dipped in gravy is one of the best tastes you can relish. 

My favorite part of Thanksgiving food is the dessert. There is an assortment of pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies. Also cheesecakes, cookies, and fresh vanilla ice cream populate the table. Having a slice of each on your plate and getting to try everything is the sweetest end to a savory Thanksgiving day.