With Thanksgiving just around the corner, most Americans are scrambling to finalize plans and survive until the long-awaited days off. But does everyone feel the same way about the holiday?

Jaden Zelidon, a sophomore, has few relatives that live in town, so he and his family usually spend the holiday at his aunt and uncle’s house to spend time with some of his extended family.

“To me, Thanksgiving is really a time for family,” Zelidon said. “The way I see it, Thanksgiving is kind of the official kick-off to the holiday season and the season of being with loved ones. It’s sort of the first day when people really start thinking, ‘Wow, it’s time for family stuff again.’ “Although the main purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks and kind of look back on the year, I also see it as this time where everyone is able to get together without any other commitments and just spend some quality time with family and loved ones.”

Sophomore Alondra Mireles celebrates Thanksgiving in a pretty traditional way, but her family has time to speak on what they are grateful for before eating dinner.

“I think it’s a perfect time to spend time with family and have a great meal with the people that love you no matter what,” Mireles said.

Sophomore Sanjana Anand and her family technically don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but still use the day to relax and spend time with those they care about.

“It’s just like any normal day, but since we have the day off, we usually have a potluck with family friends where we cook Indian food, and since we don’t eat turkey, we cook chicken,” Anand said. “We’ve never really celebrated Thanksgiving, but we still spend the day having fun and eating food.”

Although Thanksgiving is often overlooked in the rush towards Christmas, Hanukkah, and other winter holidays, it’s important that we take the time to look around and appreciate the people in our lives, the opportunities we’ve had, and opportunities yet to come.