Gobble, gobble, gobble…from freshmen to graduate students, everyone is getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Christian Daniels, a sophomore biological sciences major, said going home and having dinner with his family is his favorite part of Thanksgiving Break.

“There will be no stress at all, just because I’ll be away from school,” he said. “Thanksgiving means to me just being able to relax and (being) able to spend time with family.”

Daniels usually spends Thanksgiving with his grandparents in Wisconsin, but this year his family has decided to stay home.

Billi Fox, a freshman marketing major, said her family is breaking their traditional Thanksgiving plans.

“I usually just spend it with me and my dad, but now we have a couple different people in my family that are going to come together and we’re going to go eat at Alexander’s (Steakhouse),” Fox said. “I get to spend time with more people, but the basis of Thanksgiving is just to be around the people that you care about. As long as that’s happening, I think it’s pretty good.”

Fox said she is glad for the break because of the people she gets to spend it with and she misses her family.

“I’m a huge daddy’s girl, so any time that I get with him now is precious,” Fox said. “I’m just excited to see him and see my puppy and see all the people I get to see in my family.”

Kelli Halfman, a graduate student in communication studies, said she is excited to go home and spend Thanksgiving with her mom’s side of the family this year.

“Every year we switch off between spending time with my mom’s side and my dad’s side of the family,” she said. “This year it’s with my mom’s side, and we’re actually hosting Thanksgiving at our house, so everyone brings a side dish and we all come together.”

Halfman said her favorite Thanksgiving food is a tie between stuffing and pumpkin pie.

“I’m obsessed with Thanksgiving food,” she said. “I know with Christmas you come together with family as well, but with Thanksgiving I just feel like it’s nice to have that time in between. It’s all spread out nicely to where you can come together and tell stories.”

Halfman said the weekend before Thanksgiving she plans to go to the Hobnob Market in Peoria, where over a hundred vendors come to sell items. She said she hopes to get in the holiday spirit there and find little Christmas gifts for friends and family.

Candace Williams, a graduate student studying family and consumer sciences, said her plans consist of spending time with family, friends and eating homemade food. She said her favorite festive food is baked macaroni and cheese.

“I always go to Chicago and visit family on my dad’s side. Being able to go there and hang out with friends, family, cousins, aunts (and) uncles I haven’t seen for over a year is probably my favorite part,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing my grandma. She always has the best food. She’s always really hilarious and makes the whole family laugh.”

Even though Williams’ sister is in college and her younger brother is in high school, they all still look forward to the family tradition of picking out a Christmas tree together the day after Thanksgiving.

Shona Coleman, a senior history major, said since she is from a big Irish family she has several Thanksgivings to go to during the break. She said the plan is to start at her family’s house, then go to more distant relatives later in the day, where there will be a bonfire and bacon-wrapped turkey. Then the day after, Coleman said she has a Christmas party to attend.

“Sadly, I’m still considered part of the kids table,” Coleman said.

Coleman has not seen her family since August.

“I’ll be just hugging and talking to everybody,” Coleman said.

Coleman said she is looking forward to seeing her nephews and niece because she has a close-knit family and is used to be around them all the time. She said she is also looking forward to the food.

“My aunt makes a layered Jell-O and she hasn’t taught anyone else how to make it yet,” Coleman said. “She says we have to wait until we’re all married.”

Throughout the break Coleman said she hopes to see as much of her family as possible as well as carve out some time for her friends before returning to the stress of school.

“Hopefully I can get more relaxed and then when I get hit with everything again I’m not freaking out,” she said.

Chrissy Miller can be reached at 581-2812 or clmiller9@eiu.edu.