Thanksgiving is an American holiday that, while still popular, many people are starting to write off by not hosting or attending the traditional dinner. There are many reasons for this, ranging from not having a close enough family with whom to celebrate to not wanting to celebrate because of the holiday’s roots in prejudice. Whatever the reason, there are other things to do if you can’t or don’t want to have a traditional Thanksgiving.
Friendsgiving
Friendsgiving involves having a celebration with food and people just like Thanksgiving, but instead of family, having friends and coworkers. This works out if you don’t have family with whom to celebrate. Instead, invite some friends over and have dinner, whether you make the food or have a potluck.
Celebrate a different holiday
Not everyone celebrates Thanksgiving, so there is room to celebrate a different holiday. There are a multitude of festivities that are celebrated in November and December including Diwali, Christmas, Chanukah, among many more. You can either celebrate a traditional holiday or something just for yourself or a group of friends.
Volunteer Work
Traditional Thanksgiving celebrations involve people making tons of food that is either put into the refrigerator for a week or thrown out and wasted. If you are not doing that and would rather do something charitable, there are opportunities to give back to your community. You can look for opportunities on Volunteer Match to see what local volunteer activities are still available and are right for you. If you have any non-perishable goods to donate, you can give them to the Campus Closet/Pantry until Tuesday, Nov. 21; drop-off locations are the Dean of Students Office in the Bartel’s Campus Center, Office of Residential Life in Bixler Hall and the Campus Pantry at 21 Ruden Street.
Stay in
Thanksgiving is associated with being surrounded by family for a big celebration, but staying in is a good option for people who prefer to be alone. Making or ordering a meal for oneself and watching a movie or television show could be good for people who might be alone, even something that is holiday-related for those in the mood. Or you could get some tasks done such as responding to emails, cleaning, or doing bills.
Go out for the day
If you do not have somebody to spend Thanksgiving with but still want to be around other people, you could go out to have fun and try something new. If you are still on campus, there are some things that you could do in the local West Haven and New Haven area. Some of these establishments include restaurants and café’s such as the Mew Haven Cat Café, Prime 16 Tap House + Burgers, The Coffee Pedaler, among others. There is also a list of things to do in the local area that pertain to nature or the arts such as visiting the Yale University Art Gallery, East Rock Park, or Long Wharf Theater. If you search for an activity or place of interest and write “New Haven” or “West Haven” next to it, you will likely find something of interest.
While finding something to do in lieu of the traditional Thanksgiving tradition can be hard, this list is a start toward searching for something new to do.