Thanksgiving Q&A
December 3, 2021
Teachers Mr. James Garcia (English Department), Mrs. Tiffany Jo (Social Sciences Department), and Mrs. Valerie Thompson (Science Department) answered some questions about their Thanksgiving traditions and favorites.
Q: What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?
Mr. Garcia: To be honest I kind of just like pumpkin pie, I’m not about the actual meal.
Mrs. Jo: I love all the sides more than the turkey. I especially love mashed potatoes and candied yams.
Ms. Thompson: TURKEY!!!
Q: What is your favorite part about Thanksgiving?
Mr. Garcia: I like the zero expectation of doing anything constructive.
Mrs. Jo: Being able to have all my family come over to my house and enjoy a meal together.
Ms. Thompson: Eating and spending time with family!
Q: What did you do for Thanksgiving when we were in quarantine last year?
Mr. Garcia: Oh, man, I think we might have gone outside. Actually, that whole period of my life is blocked out, so I think we were just out with my parents somewhere.
Mrs. Jo: I spent it with my husband and two kids and we still made all our traditional sides but only had a small turkey.
Ms. Thompson: Wearing yoga pants and eating too much food? No wait, that’s what I did all last year.
Q: Is there a tradition that you and your family have that is different from most people? If not, what is your go-to for every year?
Mr. Garcia: Not so much, I’d say it’s pretty similar to everyone else’s.
Mrs. Jo: We all go around the table and say what we are thankful for. My brother and his kids always come stay at my house for a few days, and the little kids all just have a big sleepover each time. We also usually go to Disneyland with the whole family.
Ms. Thompson: Our neighborhood has a turkey trot on the morning of Thanksgiving. All the little kids come out and run around the cul-de-sac. Parents drink coffee and chat while kids burn off all the energy.
Q: As a kid what did you think of Thanksgiving? How were your childhood Thanksgivings?
Mr. Garcia: I liked the kids table. I liked the idea that we could just have a lot of cousins and just eat and do whatever we want.
Mrs. Jo: I always loved celebrating this holiday at my grandma’s house. She made the best food and always made it such a wonderful holiday.
Ms. Thompson: I thought it was forced family time! Sometimes, they were tense–differences in politics and religion don’t often bring out the best in people. So, I think the goal is to focus conversations on what family members have in common.
Q: How do you feel about pumpkin spice?
Mr. Garcia: It’s a little overexposed but I’m there for it.
Mrs. Jo: Love it!
Ms. Thompson: I’ve never had a pumpkin spice drink, but I love pumpkin bread. I make pumpkin bars on Thanksgiving instead of pumpkin pie!
