An attitude of gratitude is easily obtained just before and just after Thanksgiving dinner.

BYU students say they feel being with family is their favorite part about Thanksgiving, but the traditions and plans before and after run a close second.

"I think what makes it special is being with my family because we're not together very often," said Christian Russell, a junior from Olympia, Wash., majoring in Accounting. "Working together, playing together and having fun together is what counts."

Russell said his family starts Thanksgiving with the Annual Ward Turkey Bowl, and then they eat.

"It usually takes awhile to clean up and then we just kind of take it easy," Russell said. "A Thanksgiving nap is always fun."

Several students say the post-dinner nap is essential. For some reason, a hefty meal seems to tranquilize the body into sleeping mode.

"It's dishes, sleeping, and watching football for the men, then we eat again, then we play games, then we eat, and we play more games, and we eat and we watch a movie," said Emily Sego, a senior from Albuquerque, N.M., majoring in Marketing Communications.

Josh Arnold, a freshman from Kaysville, Utah, majoring in History, said the only thing his family does before the meal is pray.

Sometimes a fervent prayer is all one can do when the power goes out.

Entrepreneurship graduate Katie Maloney from Orlando, Fla., said her most memorable Thanksgiving was when the power went out.

"There wasn't enough time to cook the turkey and so we ended up cutting it into chunks and sticking it in the microwave to cook," Maloney said.

Several students said their favorite activity after the meal is to have a spiritual meeting to honor the pilgrims.

Spencer Toronto, a senior from Farmington, Utah, majoring in Marketing Communications, and his family have a turkey shoot-out with shotguns and a clay pigeon thrower to remember the pilgrims.

Toronto also remembered when his parents read their family a story before the meal about the pilgrims' fist winter in America.

"They gave us each a kernel of corn on a small plate and we talked of things we needed to be grateful for," Toronto said. "I think about that experience each time we have Thanksgiving dinner."

Arnold's family plays Thanksgiving Bingo to remember the pilgrims, and Sego's family has a Thanksgiving talent show with songs and poems about pilgrims.

Other students said as soon as the meal is over, Christmas preparations begin.



Copyright Brigham Young University 25 Nov 2002