Poor Thanksgiving. It’s the oft-forgotten middle child holiday, the one that gets glossed over between all the excitement of Halloween and Christmas. It’s the Trey Smith to the Jaden and Willow, the Princeton to the Harvard-Yale rivalry. This neglected day doesn’t even have its own standard decorations.
Well, no longer. Stand up against Thanksgiving-forgetting by decorating your suite with the following tips and tricks.
Disclaimer: This is not intended to be a serious DIY decorating article. Viewer discretion is advised.
1. Make a wreath
You, too, could be as happy as Shaq
No, not a Christmas wreath. Thanksgiving in New Haven is marked by countless damp leaves falling to the ground and getting smushed into the sidewalk. This year, don’t let all those beautiful colors go to waste—instead, gather up the choicest options and bundle them into a circle of plants that you can hang on your wall with DIY pride.
2. Carve a turkey
Yes, Hillary. A turkey. (Btw please come back I miss you)
Everyone was already cutting shapes into food for Halloween. Why not continue the tradition of placing half-rotted food out for all to see? This year, expand your pumpkin-carving prowess and try your hand at carving a turkey. Make a smiling face or a terrifying scowl, then leave it on your windowsill for passersby to admire while a small army of flies makes a nest in the turkey’s hollowed central cavity. Bonus: no pumpkin guts to scoop out!
3. Hang a hat
Or a… turkey hat?
Look, stockings are great and all, but the real MVP of fall is the humble hat. You can pull together your outfit and keep your ears warm with a cozy knit beanie; plus, it’ll cover up any bad hair days you may encounter as the weather decides to play Wheel of Fortune with humidity levels. As a tribute to this underappreciated clothing item, hang some hats on your nonfunctional fireplaces this Thanksgiving.
4. Decorate with grades
In October, it’s all about the scary decorations of spiders, ghosts, witches, and more. In November, however, the scariest thing may be the realization that midterm season is over, the end of the semester is coming, and your grades are about to be finalized. In keeping with the spooky Halloween spirit, extend the screams to November by stapling midterm grades around the common room. If you’re feeling especially artsy, you can even make collages of your old problem sets to be reminded of all the work you put in for that solid 10% of your grade.
5. Make holiday cards
For many of us, around this time of year, we’re about to go home and reconnect with family. Avoid those awkward small-talk conversations by prepping Thanksgiving cards to give out instead. This year, instead of waiting until Christmas to make cheesy photo collages that you’ll send to family friends you only vaguely remember, make some Thanksgiving holiday cards of you looking completely put together. On the back, you can address common familial concerns such as what you’re going to major in, what you’re doing with your life, and when you’re finally going to find a significant other. Give these out to especially nosy family members so you can spend less time talking and more time eating. To really get in the Thanksgiving spirit, hang these cards all throughout your suite for your friends to see, too!
6. Build a cornbread house
Look at that perfect consistency. Just right for making walls.
While Thanksgiving is meant to be a time for gratefulness, for most of us, that side of the holiday is probably outshadowed by the food. Keep in touch with your favorite part of Thanksgiving by constructing a cornbread house that you can decorate with cranberries, stuffing bits, and gravy. Besides, no one likes gingerbread anyway.
7. Frame a Harvard-Yale ticket
To remind yourself that we won. Boola Boola, y’all.