The holidays have a different meaning for everyone who celebrates. For some, they are filled with cheer, and for others they are filled with despair. Thanksgiving is no different and can be stressful for people who do not have friends, family or the means to make it cheerful.

There is a heavy focus on being obligated to be friendly to family members we are not familiar with and we should not have to be forced to fake it.

“When I was younger I felt like I had to be cheerful, but as an adult my family does not gather much as it is broken up and dysfunctional,” health science major, Daniella Heming said. 

As an immigrant, Thanksgiving dinners are relatively new to me and each year the crowd gets bigger and different. I see the holiday as a time to spend with loved ones and express gratitude for what people are grateful for. 

From what I’ve experienced, it’s more of a nerve-wracking day where everybody is under some type of pressure. Especially when each person has to make a respective dish while awaiting the scrutiny it will receive at the dinner table. 

“What pressures me the most about Thanksgiving dinner would be now that I’m older, I’m expected to make some type of entrée,” Shelby Glosson, an online health science major said. “I like cooking, but the pressure is on for my entrée to be good.”

One displeasing critique about your dish could potentially ruin the day for some. The pressure to prepare a dish that everyone likes can be intense. 

“I never want a dish to be disappointing, so I strive to make it perfect,” Hanna Wright, a Cartersville campus dental hygiene major said. 

Knowing that you put your all into preparing a meal and watching someone make a face as they take a bite of it can be disheartening at a time when we should be joyful. 

The Thanksgiving dinner table can also be where we are asked questions about school, achievements and failures. While some people are comfortable sharing this, some may not want to be reminded of their life hurdles during a holiday where gratefulness and joy are the focus. 

The true meaning of the holiday and positivity should be embraced as we brace ourselves for the upcoming holidays.