Tradition Finds A New Home; Indian Students Celebrate Thanksgiving Abroad

Thanksgiving, an American holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, is a time of year when families come together, eat good food , and students have a chance to relax before the inevitable final examinations.

While it is an opportunity for many to spend quality time with family, for international students, celebrating the holidays with family is not always an option. 

The Free Press Journal spoke to few Indian students studying abroad to learn about their experiences with Thanksgiving Day. While everyone was certain that turkey was involved, many said that they were just learning about it for the first time.

"All ready to celebrate Thanksgiving"

Joseph D'Mello, an Indian student from Shillong, said, "I first learned about it when I was planning to come to the US as my friends who were already here told me about how Thanksgiving is a really big thing over there." 

“Being an Indian Student attending the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, I am prepared to cross Thanksgiving off of my list of holidays to celebrate,” stated Joseph. 

"Most of what I know comes from watching Friends"

Pratibha Gopalakrishna, a first-year graduate student at Stanford says, "Most of what I know comes from watching ‘Friends. I don't know why they celebrate it and the historical relevance of it but I know that it's very important."

"I know that it's a holiday where the family gathers and has a big dinner with turkey and mashed potatoes," says Pratiksha Ganguli, a Princeton University student from Kolkata. Back in Kolkata, a family in her neighborhood celebrated a variety of US holidays and traditions, including Thanksgiving and Halloween. 

"Found the feeling of home, in a foreign place"

Ruchi Sharma, a first-year Indian student in the UK, had the opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving with her friends who share the same culture, which gave her a sense of family away from home.

“From playing music to dancing until our legs hurt, my first Thanksgiving celebration really made me feel like I have found the feeling of home, in a foreign place,” Ruchi said.

“I felt super happy but at the same time, I felt sad … I felt nostalgic thinking about my family and how I don’t get to spend that time with them,” she added.