Chinese Thanksgiving

By Aliana Tang (12th Grade)

While Thanksgiving is traditionally an American holiday, it is consistent with many Chinese holidays in which the family gets together and celebrates with good food. My family celebrates Thanksgiving every year, and it’s an important time for us because it’s a big enough holiday in America that everyone has space in their schedules to hold a big get-together. The table usually contains a mix of traditional Thanksgiving foods, such as turkey and cranberry sauce, as well as Chinese dishes, such as xiaolongbao and lobster noodles. Since a lot of birthdays are also right around this time, we celebrate all the November birthdays in the family. Usually the adults do their own thing and mingle, while the kids run around getting underfoot or playing piano upon popular request. It’s an important tradition for us mainly because it’s one of the most consistent days in the year where the whole family is able to get together and have fun.