The students prepared by attending a Thanksgiving seminar where they watched videos about the first Thanksgiving, and learned why there are no turkeys in China. They looked at food magazines to get their first glimpse of candied sweet potatoes and green bean casserole, and they even learned the difference between stuffing and dressing.
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, SPIRAL hosted a “Thanks and Giving” meal for all the students and their host families. Each student and family brought a favorite family dish or desert. It was a wonderful time for host families to bond over having teenagers in their home, share stories and make connections. And the students enjoyed giggling about the strange foods served!
On the day of Thanksgiving, the students sent messages and pictures to each other to see who had the biggest turkey, what dish they enjoyed the most, and what they planned to buy on Black Friday.