The assumption might be that most of the students who attend Saint John’s University are celebrating Thanksgiving away from home, probably for the first time in their lives. After all, the undergraduates number over 17,000, and they hail from 46 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 119 other countries. This also explains why Saint John’s alumni total more than 190,000 members worldwide.

We know that the original Thanksgiving festival in Plymouth, Massachusetts, which was celebrated in 1621 between the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrims, lasted three days. Every November, the University revels in gratitude for five days by suspending classes from the Wednesday before the fourth Thursday of the month until the following Monday. This extended recess allows students to return home, where they can savor mom’s turkey dinner and homemade pumpkin pie. Many also tote their laundry, which keeps mothers busy at both the washing machine and the stove.

Several students who live too far away to travel for these holidays hitch a ride and a delicious meal from a newly-found friend and classmate. In this way, the American generosity of adding another cup of water to the saucepan and another sweet potato to the platter continues to welcome the universal language of smiling faces to the dinner table.

When asked what they are most thankful for this year, the most often-cited response from 138 randomly-chosen college students was “my family.” One freshman put it this way, “I’m thankful for my supportive family and feeling loved by them even when I am unable to physically see them as often as I’d like, and that they treat me almost as if I am still at home.” Other top answers included their friends, their health, and the opportunity to receive a college education. Here again, two students were quite precise: “I’m grateful for being the first in my immediate family to attend college,” and “For my parents because they have worked hard so I can get the opportunity they never got.”

Several mentioned gratitude to God. For example, “I am thankful for God always giving me the chance to right my wrongs.”

Then, of course, some gave thanks for the practical realities and entertainment venues in their lives: “My car, which is the most prized thing in my life,” and “The New York Knicks.”

Holy Homework. On November 27, let’s offer a prayer of Thanksgiving for all college students, whether they are studying close to home or far away, that they may grow in wisdom, grace, and continued love for family life.

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