The typical all-American Thanksgiving features classic staples, such as green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, and of course, the star of most tables at Thanksgiving, turkey. These dishes are what make Thanksgiving, and are all known and loved by those who celebrate. However, the limits to Thanksgiving dishes are endless. As, after all, Thanksgiving is celebrated by not just Americans, but by people who have come to the United States from all over the world. Elkhorn South’s SOCA (Students of Color Alliance) has been holding a traditional Friendsgiving each year around the week of Thanksgiving, where members bring in their favorite dishes to feast on. These dishes can be truly anything, but the focus of this annual tradition is to bring cultural dishes to share with others in the club and is a great way to meet new people while also learning about different cultures and cuisines. This year marked SOCA’s 3rd annual Friendsgiving.

“The idea started from our last year’s president, Hazel Chong,” Co-President Jessica Tackett said. 

The cuisines brought this year were delectable, according to many who attended. The dishes brought were truly versatile and spanned many countries worldwide. 

“People brought food pertaining to their own individual cultures,” Tackett said. 

Some favorite dishes of the night were Vietnamese spring rolls, samosas, Mexican rice and beans, and for dessert, Indian gulab jamun. 

Although eating encompassed a large portion of the night, members say they also learned new ways to eat foods that they are not familiar with eating every day. 

“We showed each other the techniques on eating different cultural foods because some of them needed special tricks to tackle,” Junior Prisha Agarwalla said. 

In addition to trying out new techniques, there was an opportunity to give more insight into the different cultural dishes brought to SOCA’s Friendsgiving. 

“We talked about what our dishes mean to us as well as what culture they were from,” Junior Esha Vadde said. 

Although this is only SOCA’s 3rd year hosting a Friendsgiving, so many memories have been made and cherished through this unique experience. Food has always been a form of identity and expression in many cultural settings. Even apart from Thanksgiving, food is just something that brings people together. The aspect of bringing personal dishes and sharing them with others is a very rewarding experience. 

“I loved getting to know all the members and see a little into their personal lives with the cultural food they brought,” Agarwalla said. 

It’s safe to say this SOCA tradition will continue year-round at Elkhorn South. Not only does it offer a chance to branch out and meet new people, but it allows members to learn about a range of cultures while also getting to try the food at the same time. 

“This tradition helps people learn about different cultures and cuisines because people can try the foods firsthand. Almost all were handmade too, which made it all the more authentic,” Tackett said.