Holiday food traditions vary widely across the world. For instance, Italian-Americans celebrate Christmas with the Feast of the Seven Fishes with dishes of fish and seafood.  In medieval Britain, boar and goose were on the menu at Christmas, but that has now been replaced by turkey. Some Chinese Americans celebrate with dim sum on Christmas. While people around the world celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday. Both the Thanksgiving dinner and the Christmas dinner are a favorite amongst the Prep community, but which is more popular? This question can cause a heated debate….

When asked on a poll on Instagram, 64% said they preferred Thanksgiving dinner, while 36% indicated Christmas dinner as their preference. The reasons behind why each meal is a favorite range from the kind of food served, to the company the meal is shared with, to the activities shared with family and friends.   Diving deeper, three people were interviewed to get their input on which holiday meal they favored and what special traditions they have.

Kendyll King ’25 said that she preferred Christmas dinner over Thanksgiving dinner. While a lot of the food stays the same between the two holidays for her family, the main driver for King is the feeling that Christmas dinner evokes. The decorations, the peppermint-scented candles, and the sense of closeness to her family are what has her favoring Christmas dinner more. King’s favorite food that’s served at Christmas is Bilo-Bilo, a coconut milk, fruit, small gelatin ball mix. “I always go straight to Bilo-Bilo even before I have dinner,” King said.

Like King, Natalie Aguilar Fox  ’24 prefers Christmas, or Christmas eve dinner, over Thanksgiving dinner. Aguilar Fox has a fun tradition on Christmas Eve that she looks forward to every year.  Her grandma makes spaghetti with her special meat sauce, and they invite the church over for snacks and games. It’s a fun tradition that strengthens Aguilar Fox’s relationship with her family and community. “Christmas is really important to me because that’s when I get to be with my family, and my family is what I hold closest to my heart,” Aguilar Fox explained.

While King and Aguilar Fox favor Christmas dinner, Maddie White ’24  is all about Thanksgiving. With more of her family coming into town, there’s more food, specifically, mashed potatoes – her favorite! White’s Thanksgiving meals dinner resembles a traditional Thanksgiving. From the turkey to the cranberry sauce, they have it all. While some people may not be the most skilled in the kitchen, White loves to get involved with cooking during Thanksgiving. “It’s the one time of year I get excited about cooking. I love helping out in the kitchen and spending time with my family,” White said.

Many families vary in their Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, but the overall sense of both meals is one of closeness, traditions, and full stomachs!