Thanksgiving break started Nov. 22, and while many domestic students traveled back home, many international students planned to spend Thanksgiving break traveling, staying on campus, visiting an American family to experience the holiday or hosting Friendsgiving with local friends.

“I decided to travel to New York,” said Chiharu Morimoto, a senior physics major from Japan. “Because I am staying in the U.S. for only one semester, so I want to travel as much as I can.”

Some international students stay on campus and spend time with their friends. 

“I decided to host a Friendsgiving in my place,” said Kunal Kashyap, a junior in business management major from India, in an email response. “Because it seems fun, and we are the only family we have here.” 

Thanksgiving is a large event in the U.S., but it is not familiar for many international students.

“I did not have any ideas about Thanksgiving,” Morimoto said. “Because we do not have that holiday. We have a one day break that is similar to Labor Day in November.”

On Tuesday, both dining halls, Eastway and the DI Hub, provided Thanksgiving meals for students who stayed on campus. Students picked up Thanksgiving meals at Eastway yesterday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Yui Kaichi is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].