Turkey is not the only thing getting stuffed on Thanksgiving. This food-filled holiday is also packed with plenty of classic and occasionally unconventional traditions.

The participants of the original Thanksgiving in 1621 would be quite shocked if they observed the updated celebrations, most of which involve a television remote to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and a football game.

However, one aspect of the holiday hasn’t changed: feasting on mounds of food.

“My mom makes about 100 pounds of food, [and] we eat until we can’t eat anymore,” Paul Tricarico ’16 said.

The cooking doesn’t just stop at mashed potatoes and turkey. Dishes of pies, plates of fruit salads or roasted vegetables are up for grabs, and students fill themselves to be as stuffed the turkey itself. “The main event is my sister’s homemade apple pie that she makes every year,” Tricarico added.

However, not all families enjoy a traditional turkey. Sera Levy ’17 is part of an entirely vegetarian family, which calls for a unique annual ritual on Thanksgiving.

“We eat tofurkey, which isn’t the tastiest thing in the world, and we leave the leftovers until they’re almost completely rotten and then each throw a piece out the window,” Levy said.

This might not have been what the Puritans had in mind when they started the annual harvest feast, but contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving isn’t all about the food. In some cases, students celebrate by not focusing on the holiday at all.

“Every year, my family goes out to get our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend,” Christina Dear ’17 said.

The traditions include a range of different foods and locations among students. However, the commonalities of Thanksgiving celebrations lie in feasting, watching football and, most importantly, being with family.

Victoria Finley ’16 said her favorite part of the holiday is “hands down being with my relatives; I don’t see them often so it’s always nice to catch up.”

The beauty of Thanksgiving is that its traditions remain within each family in a world that is always changing.

“My dad tells stories that we have all heard 100 times before,” Tricarico said.

Despite a few repeats through the years, devoting the third Thursday of November entirely to food and festivities brings families together for their entertaining and slightly wacky traditions.