Written by Kelsey
30 Nov 2025
Living in the US, Thanksgiving is an annual tradition. It’s a nice holiday that centers around food, family, and gratitude. Unfortunately, studying in Sweden means that I missed out on our family Thanksgiving for the first time ever. Still, I found a way to celebrate, even if it was a little nontraditional. And it reminded me just how much I have to be grateful for!
What is Thanksgiving? Origins, Traditions, & Celebration
Thanksgiving is a classic American holiday that is celebrated the last Thursday of November. Growing up, we were taught about the “first’ Thanksgiving meal in the 1600s. According to the legend, Pilgrims and Native Americans joined together for a peaceful harvest feast and celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Of course, Native Americans had celebrated the harvest through various traditions years before the European colonists arrived. But either way, Thanksgiving started with both spiritual and social elements, to give thanks to a higher power for a bountiful harvest of crops while eating lots of food together.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving still involves eating lots of food together. It’s typically a day spent with family and friends. Everyone brings a dish or two. Some classic Thanksgiving foods are turkey, mashed potatoes, ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce, rolls, and pumpkin pie. The past few years, my Thanksgiving table has included a Tofurkey and some sort of vegan side dish, so I wouldn’t starve. After a full day of eating, you’re practically guaranteed to go into a food coma. And you can count on having leftovers for days. Besides the food and family time, it’s nice to reflect about what you’re thankful for- including having food on the table. Many aren’t so fortunate. We should probably be practicing gratitude everyday, but having a designated day for it is nice too.
Thanksgiving: Swedish Edition
This year was my first Thanksgiving away from home. I must admit, it’s a little sad when your entire family is celebrating together, and you’re thousands of miles away. While I’m okay missing out on green bean casserole, I do miss the hugs from my loved ones. But at least technology makes it easy to connect across continents. FaceTiming my family at their Thanksgiving celebration made me feel like I was still a part of the day. And I texted my friends from home, reminding them that I’m still thankful to have them in my life, even from afar. In the spirit of gratitude, I know I have so much to be grateful for. Sure, I might be missing out on Thanksgiving, but I’m still living my dream.
How did I celebrate Thanksgiving this year? A few friends and I ended up going to MAX Burgers, an iconic Swedish fast food chain. We thought it would be funny to go somewhere super Swedish to celebrate an American holiday! Impossible burgers and French fries aren’t the most traditional Thanksgiving meal, but it was perfect in my eyes. It’s all about spending time with people you’re grateful for. My friends haven’t really celebrated Thanksgiving before, so it was fun to explain the traditions and typical foods to them. In typical Thanksgiving fashion, we also went around the table and talked about what were thankful for. One of the many things I’m thankful for is having sweet and thoughtful friends who are willing to celebrate Thanksgiving with me.
Practicing Gratitude!
To me, Thanksgiving is a day to focus on practicing and expressing gratitude. After some reflection, I realized how much I have to be grateful for. If anything, I have more than I need. I’m thankful to be healthy, to have access to nutritious food and a place to call home, and to have a support system. And I’m grateful that I had people in my life who opened my eyes to international opportunities, encouraged me to follow my dreams, and gave me advice when I needed it. I’m so lucky to have so many people to miss, from my family to college friends.
I’m lucky to be in Sweden right now! Basically my entire life, I knew I wanted to get out of my hometown to travel and experience the world. And now I’m living in Europe! That’s a privilege I don’t take for granted.
I’m thankful that out of the thousands of Master’s programmes out there, I somehow stumbled across my dream programme. After submitting my application to study in Sweden, I spent months hoping and praying that I would get accepted. Now I get to study something I’m passionate about, my education is fully funded, and I’m surrounded by cool and intelligent classmates. So basically, the life I’m living now is one that I wished (and worked!) so hard for. And that’s something to be thankful for. That’s something I should remind myself every time I want to complain about having to do an assignment for class!
Is Thanksgiving worth celebrating?
I would say yes! Even if you don’t do a massive international potluck with your friends, there’s always the option of a casual meal. Take this opportunity to call your friends and family back home. It’s always nice to remind people you’re grateful for them! Or, just do some journaling for your own private gratitude practice. Again, the spirit of the holiday is about appreciating what and who you have in your life. And this spirit of gratitude helps you through both the good and bad days, even beyond Thanksgiving!
