Celebrating the holidays in college can feel a bit different than celebrating at home. Sometimes it is tempting to not even celebrate the holidays because it seems so different. But just because you can’t celebrate as you would at home, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate. College is the perfect time to try something new, so celebrate this Thanksgiving like the college student you are with some new and untraditional Thanksgiving ideas.
Decorate
Step 1 is to decorate. It’s important to prep your apartment for the awesome Thanksgiving party you are going to throw. You’re in college, so remember to keep your decorations creative and frugal. Use butcher paper to line the center of the table and then decorate with some mini-pumpkins and leaves. It will give you a cute and affordable Thanksgiving look. I suggest buying your mini-pumpkins and leaves from the dollar store – it will make it even more affordable.
Family Traditions
It’s easy to get homesick around the holidays when you can’t visit home. That’s why it’s important to bring in family traditions wherever you are. Call up your grandma and ask her for that homemade roll recipe and try it out. Having something as simple as your favorite homemade food at dinner can help you feel more connected to your family.
Friends (Or New People)
Thanksgiving is literally a holiday about two different groups of people coming together and celebrating; it’s the perfect holiday to branch out and connect with new people and old friends. If you are living in affordable housing for college students, there’s a good chance that there will be other people stuck at their apartment for Fall break too. Invite them to come and celebrate with you. Invite a bunch of people and tell them all to bring over their favorite Thanksgiving food. You’ll have a delicious potluck of Thanksgiving food and make new friends in the process.
Food
Thanksgiving food is delicious, but it’s also a lot of work. It will be hard and expensive to prepare a traditional turkey. So, instead, try some alternative options. I know turkey is the obvious Thanksgiving food, but chicken is easier to prepare and easier on the wallet. So maybe for a year or two, while you are stuck in your college apartment, make Thanksgiving chicken a thing. Bake some chicken breasts and eat them with other Thanksgiving classics like sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, green beans, and stuffing. It will help satisfy your need for those yummy Thanksgiving foods. You could even buy a premade pie for dessert. I love Marie Callender’s chocolate satin pie or you could go with the classic pumpkin pie. If you aren’t much of a pie fan, but still need some Thanksgiving dessert, make some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.
Thanksgiving Activities
There are lots of fun Thanksgiving activities to participate in. Watch the Macy’s parade with some friends or play a game of football. The most important thing is to remember that you can still celebrate the holidays even if you are stuck in your apartment. So put your chef’s hat on, call up some friends, and make a college Thanksgiving memory you will remember.