Thanksgiving Traditions at Top US Universities

You would be forgiven for thinking the Turkey Trot involves feathered friends gobbling around campus, but in fact it’s a 2.6 mile run around Lehigh University’s campus, strictly for human participants (around 400 to 600 annually).

It marks the end of Lehigh’s ‘Spirit Week’ and runners can enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner afterwards, a chance for both staff and students to refuel.

One of the more unusual Thanksgiving traditions at a US university is over 50 years old. The March to Kreiderheim happens when Lebanon Valley College’s football team beat their arch-rivals Albright College in a pre-Thanksgiving game. If Lebanon are victorious, hundreds of students march to the college president’s home (Kreiderheim) to petition for an extra day off over Thanksgiving break – unsurprisingly, their request is usually granted!

The University of Maryland medical school (along with a variety of other professional schools) hosts an annual Thanksgiving feast for the homeless community of the surrounding area. As well as providing food such as turkey, stuffing and pies, the school also arranges clothing, toiletry and food drives in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Students can volunteer on the various committees (such as food, publicity, shelters, donations, logistics & volunteers and legal), cook a turkey and/or volunteer on Thanksgiving Day.

A popular Thanksgiving tradition at many American universities, including Yale University, is offering international students the experience of a traditional Thanksgiving meal with an American host family.

Hosts come from a range of backgrounds with their own traditions, meaning you’re sure to have a day unlike any you’ve experienced before. The program is only open to international students and scholars and their families, and it always reaches maximum capacity, with hosts opening their homes to international students who want a day full of food and fun.