As the cool autumn air replaces the summer heat and leaves begin their seasonal transformations, families across the country eagerly embrace the season’s traditions. While many communities revel in the timeless rituals of apple picking and pumpkin carving, Seven Lakes High School’s diverse student body boasts its own fall traditions. Whether their home during Fall is reminiscent of a Norman Rockwell painting or looks more like a Thanksgiving episode of “Modern Family,” these traditions make the seasons memorable.

Sophomore Janan Moramand’s family makes an authentic Persian dish, Polo Koresh ‘e Bademjoon, every Thanksgiving. The dish consists of fragrant and aromatic rice, stewed eggplant, and succulent pieces of meat, often lamb or beef. The dish’s preparation is a labor of love that requires time, effort, and an inherent understanding of the nuances that elevate its flavors to perfection. Cooking Polo Koresh ‘e Bademjoon is a multi-generational, labor-intensive custom for Moramand’s family. Moramand and her family usually get together in their home kitchen early in the morning to start the preparations. The rich aroma of the dish permeates throughout the house, and the slow charring of eggplants on the pan is synonymous with family bonding.

“For as long as I can remember this dish has been on the table during Thanksgiving,” Moramand said.

However some students don’t just cook, instead they have some nontraditional-traditions. For Pranavi Gandikota her family game nights have become more important as she is nearing the end of high school. 

“These game nights are a time when we forget our busy lives and focus on building relationships with each other,” Pranavi said. “It’s like an escape from the stress of school and college applications. I get to feel like I’m five again.”

Similarly, sophomore Julie Schneider’s family makes up their own games.

“During Thanksgiving me and my family play a game where you wear inflatable antlers on your head and someone else tosses rings onto them,” Schnieder said.

Schnieder has been playing this game with her family since 2013, and to her, it makes the holidays special.

“I used to think it was kind of corny, but now that I’m older I see how happy my parents get and it makes me want to play,” Schnieder said.

However, Fall traditions can celebrate more than just family. Sophomores Elle Astete and Kathy Jiang share a heartwarming tradition that they have shared since they were in middle school: carving pumpkins together every fall. This activity has become a symbol of their years-long friendship, allowing them to celebrate not just the season, but also the bond that’s grown between them over the years. 

“Our pumpkins always look really bad, but that’s why I like doing it with Elle, I don’t feel like it has to look good,” Jiang said.

Each year, these Fall traditions are the pinnacle of the season. They make every year memorable and provide a comforting reminder of childhood.