By Katie Johnson

Check out her instructional video [wpvideo KWRl5teZ]

As the leaves start to fall and the weather starts to shift, so does everyone’s appetites. Thanksgiving rolls around and for most teenagers, all we think of simply, is food. From turkey to green bean casserole, the table is stocked with all the food the mind can imagine. For those sweet tooths, many look for the desserts on the table like pumpkin and apple pie, cobbler, or even little festive munchies (below is a HOW TO on several tasty treats).

Now, everyone has their favorite meal, but the odds of that meal being on another one’s table could be fairly unlikely. With all the ethnicities at Tuscarora many hold different traditions, for example, the food around the table. Even being raised in the South compared to the North, there are different foods. In the South, there’s dressing and cranberry relish, while the North has stuffing and cranberry sauce.

You may ask, where does all this food and even the holiday originate from, and some may think of Pilgrims and Indians sitting around a table sharing a peaceful meal. The first Thanksgiving does date back to 1621, with the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in Plymouth, but the food was not the same as today. History.com states that there are no records of a turkery being eaten but a mission for the preperation of the feast. With this knowledge, they concluded that although there could have been a turkey it was also likely there were other birds on the table during the feast. Also, back in 1621, History.com also stated that Potatoes were a no go. Although Europeans were introduced to the potato in 1570 by the Spanish, it never became popular enough to board the Mayflower and come to America. Now, in 2016, we have ovens for pumpkin pies, potatoes in all forms that are common to eat, and a specific bird for this holiday.

Food is a common word that brings joy to many. With different varieties of what food can be, it will always be a necessity and a pleasure. During Thanksgiving, not everyone is able to have a full feast like some, but it is possible to help a family or someone in need this Thanksgiving. By just donating one can of food to Loudoun Hunger Relief (also known as Loudoun Interfaith Relief), that one can can make a huge difference in someone’s life, especially during the holidays. Just like people say, this is the season for giving.