Like many international students, senior Chu Ci wasn't quite sure what to make of the American holiday of Thanksgiving when he first came to Duke.
"I had a very vague idea about what it was," said Ci, who is from China. "I thought it was about how the ancestors of Americans came onto the new continent, and turkey was what they found for food."
Although Ci said he still isn't sure about the details of Thanksgiving's history, he has grown to appreciate the food and hospitality the holiday brings.
Ci is one of many international students who decided not to fly home for the short break. While most American students hopped into cars and onto planes to spend Thanksgiving with their families, international students celebrated the holiday in other ways, from visiting friends across the country to resting in Durham for the break.
Before coming to Duke, students from abroad said they had heard about Thanksgiving from television shows and books, but did not understand its significance."I knew that you did something related to turkeys and stuff," said Velihan Canberk Erdogdu, a freshman from Turkey.
Even if they were aware of the customs associated with Thanksgiving, international students said they didn't know its historical background. And after experiencing the holiday firsthand, many said they are still confused how pilgrims and Plymouth Rock relate to turkey and cranberry sauce.
"I'm still unsure about the whole historical relevance it has," said senior Claudia Lai, who is from England. "I don't know what relevance the turkey has."
Mili Seoni, a senior from India, agreed.
"Honestly, I'm still not 100 percent sure, but I like the break, so I don't complain," she said with a laugh.
Although most students took the opportunity to visit friends or travel, some stayed in Durham and tried their hands at cooking their own Thanksgiving dinners.
"I kind of undercooked the turkey, but besides that it was really good," said Max Schulte-Hillen, a senior from Germany. He and Lai said they got together with friends to celebrate the holiday.
Anisa Keeratiworanan, a senior from Thailand, said she combined American traditions with those from home.
"This year I stayed on campus over the break, cooked turkey and some traditional Thai food with friends from home for Thanksgiving meal," she wrote in an e-mail.
Students also said they were fascinated by the concept of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that marks the start of the Christmas shopping season.
"I learned for the first time about Black Friday last year so we made a point to wake up early and went to Southpoint [mall]," said Advait Kotecha, a senior from Dubai.
Iza Wojciechowska contributed to this story.
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