Decorations, activities, food, family and friends are essential components to a wonderful Thanksgiving. We have dug deep into the depths of this holiday, in which thousands of people celebrate what they are thankful for, and have ultimately contemplated the factors that make up a great Thanksgiving. The holidays are nothing without the people you love. For this special holiday, gather your family and friends, in order to have a memorable experience full of love, laughter and joy. Send out invitations to all of those, who you know and love—you might promise good food and holiday feeling. Perhaps draw them in with a turkey theme to spark imagination and fun. Math teacher and sports coach, Kathleen Navarre, says, “We have huge family dinners with over 50 people.” Physical Education teacher and sports coach Bradley Lauwers, says, “[We] have big family meals— I love Thanksgiving.” Not only is the family and friend component important, but so is what you do with those special people. Thanksgiving activities like playing games, or attending certain holiday functions, can make the holiday all the more better. Thanksgiving games may include Thanksgiving-themed Pictionary (with a huge white board!) or charades, Cranium, Catch Phrase, etc. intimate or non-intimate activities. “[We] eat dinner together and then go to the Great Alaska Shootout,” Sagan Osborne, a senior, comments. “We play a lot of ping pong, with trash talking, and play the Wii and then go to the Great Alaska Shootout,” Lauwers says on activities his family does on Thanksgiving. Food is another very important aspect of Thanksgiving. Turkey, of course, is an essential product of the holiday experience. Stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, gravy, sweet rolls, yams and of course pumpkin pie (or other desserts) are also prominent foods that make the turkey day experience “sensational.” Navarre said, “We always have Durkee green bean casserole.” About the food aspect of Thanksgiving, Lauwers said, “We eats yams only this time in the year; we have a contest on who can eat the most yams.” Dimond Senior Erskine Frank said, “I eat a lot of food, I stuff my face, I eat a lotta’ food.” Decorations set the mood and atmosphere of the holidays. A fall theme, especially, suits the Thanksgiving occasion. Certain decorations might include scented or non-scented candles, earth/leaf-colored tablecloths, turkey decorations, a clean house or setting, dimmed lighting and small, scattered fall-winter gifts. Music and the sounds of loved ones are also wonderful complements to the Thanksgiving holiday. Signe Stanton, a sophomore at Dimond, talked about what she does every Thanksgiving— “I don’t wake up ’till twelve, then I don’t get changed— I stay in my pjs and kind of help make [the] turkey, eat at three, until I explode, and go to bed.” For many people, Thanksgiving is a very important holiday that represents family, friends, joy, and giving thanks. We strive to provide those who seek a sensational turkey day, with our knowledge and expertise, in order to satisfy your Thanksgiving experience. If you follow these guidelines, then you will be guaranteed a memorable and successful day of giving thanks.