For the third year, International Student Services is providing international students the opportunity to visit American students’ families for Thanksgiving.

Director of International Student Services Lori Friedman said 18 international students who were interested in a traditional Thanksgiving celebration signed up and were matched with a family based on common interests and compatibility.

“A lot of international students have never entered an American home. So it’s nice- number one- to enter an American home, meet a family that’s connected to St. Thomas, then also experience the American holiday and family traditions,” Friedman said.

Junior Abdullatif Alanazi, a Saudi Arabian student, said he participated in the Thanksgiving dinner host program last year. Alanazi said he was paired with a St. Thomas faculty member’s family that took him out to dinner.

“It was unique because it was the first time to see all the family members gathering on a meal. It reminds me (of) my family in back home. I remember that day—I had turkey and mashed potatoes,” Alanzi said.

Alanazi said he recommends the Thanksgiving dinner program because both the host family and the international student benefit from celebrating together.

“The international student will benefit from it by sharing his or her culture with an American family,” Alanazi said.

Friedman said Thanksgiving is usually a “totally new experience” for international students because of the food and holiday traditions.

“Turkey is sometimes new—a lot of the food items are sometimes new to a lot of international students,” Friedman said.

Senior Julia Baker is from Australia, and she said she expects football to be a big part of the holiday.

“I’m excited to watch the football on Thanksgiving because I’ve only seen a few football games, and I know that it’s a big tradition to eat and watch football and be with the family,” Baker said.

Sophomore Elida Noekland, a Norwegian student, plans to travel to Ohio to spend Thanksgiving with the host family she lived with in high school.

“I think I definitely would (sign up for the Thanksgiving dinner host program) if I didn’t have my host family because it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my lifetime— like a second family in another country,” Noekland said. “I would definitely recommend (international students) sign up to actually be a part of an American family because it’s pretty unique.”

Freshman Nu Mai is from Vietnam, but she said she did not sign up because she already planned to celebrate Thanksgiving with her aunt and uncle in Texas.

“I know it’s a really good opportunity to get to know a host family in America here, but I prefer spending time with all of my family and my friends,” Mai said.

Baker said if she didn’t already have plans to join a friend’s Thanksgiving celebration in Chanhassen, Minn., she’d be interested in signing up for the program.

“If I didn’t have anywhere to go, I’d definitely take the opportunity because I know that a lot American families signed up for the program, which shows that they are excited to show international students an American Thanksgiving,” Baker said.

Friedman acknowledged that international students often tag along with friends and roommates they meet on campus for Thanksgiving.

“A lot of the students kind of do it informally through their roommates … but we cater to the students that don’t have that,” Friedman said.

Baker said Thanksgiving is an uniquely American holiday.

“We don’t have anything equivalent to Thanksgiving in Australia,” Baker said. “Everyone just seems so excited about it because it just seems like such a family event.”

Stephanie Dodd can be reached at dodd0474@stthomas.edu.