Written By: Andie Lee

As the cold weather settles in Newport and the daylight savings gives everyone an extra hour, fall festivities are in full swing. Autumn brings a new ambiance to daily life and can inspire more involvement in holiday activities. It’s obvious that students look forward to Thanksgiving, as Sara Henry says, “I love November because celebrating Thanksgiving means that I get to celebrate my family and friends a little extra! This year my friends have decided to throw ourselves a “Friendsgiving” where we will make our dinner and hangout to celebrate our friendships.” There are other Sailors who come up with new ways to celebrate fall and start traditions. Ashlee young shares how she and her friends have chosen to participate in autumnal activities, “A lot of people have been going to Tanka Farms and other pumpkin patches. So my friends and I decided to go check it out. It ended up being super fun! We walked around the pumpkin patches and through a corn maze. Although we had a great time it was super crowded!”

Another important aspect of this time of the year is the food. Kaela Whelan reveals “A fall tradition that my family and I try to do every year is make chili with the same recipe we found in a cookbook a few years back. We also make sure to have a dinner party where we host family and close friends to share our cooking with. It’s something me and my family always look forward to!” Another part of November that gets marked on the calendars of many Newport Harbor students is the few days off of school. It allows students to have extra time with family and friends visiting or gives people time to go somewhere else for Thanksgiving. Keilani Lee says, “I am super excited for this Thanksgiving because I am going to visit family in Hawaii for this upcoming break. Even though I will be with family, it’s a little sad that I won’t get to attend my dad’s family’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner at my Aunt’s house.” It is clear that with autumn comes many fun, familial customs and that Sailors know just how to celebrate!