Turkey, stuffing, and football are synonymous with Thanksgiving in America. While some people follow these iconic traditions, some families celebrate this day of thanks in their own unique ways.

“Every year for as long as I can remember, my family has always done a turducken,” said junior Jaromir Penley. “We spend most of the morning and the early afternoon preparing and cooking it. It’s always expected on the table every Thanksgiving.” 

Turducken refers to a three-bird combination of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck stuffed into a deboned turkey.  

Penley’s turducken tradition started when he was in the fourth grade. His family wanted to do something new for Thanksgiving, but no one could agree on a main course. After debating, they decided to combine the top three ideas into their new turducken meal.

Another unique food tradition is replacing turkey with a Baskin Robbins turkey ice cream cake, an adaption made by sophomore John Baronowski’s family.

“When I was younger, my family found out I was allergic to turkey,” says Baronowski. “So for years, we’d have ham for Thanksgiving. This went on until one year, my parents surprised me with ‘turkey’ for Thanksgiving with this ice cream cake.”

Not all unique Thanksgiving ideas are food related, though. Sophomore Claire Donaldson and her family have a different tradition: pajama day!

“Every year for Thanksgiving, me and my family stay in our pajamas all day, even when it’s time for dinner,” said Donaldson. “We cook, clean, and get everything ready in our pajamas every year.”

From turduckens to ice cream to spending the day in pajamas, Thanksgiving is a day to spend with those we love and are thankful for, whether it’s a classic Thanksgiving or one of a kind.