Though there are many ways to celebrate holidays, the common thread is family.

Many students said they get together with their extended family for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Most said they eat a big meal together and catch up.

“I go home (for Thanksgiving) and we make lots of food,” said Hillary Zyber, Gaines freshman. “We all get together and share stories of what happened since the last time we saw each other.”

When asked about the holidays, many students focus on Christmas.

“For Christmas morning, we open presents, then go to my grandma’s house for dinner, then to my aunt’s house for dessert,” said Michael Isgrigg, Waterford senior.

Isgrigg’s grandmother and aunt, who are from different sides of the family, live about an hour away from each other, so there is a lot of driving done on Christmas Day. He said he also goes to the same grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.

Livonia senior Jennifer Killian said her family eats a lot of turkey during the holidays.

“(On Thanksgiving), we eat turkey, per usual, then we have a variety of pies. On Christmas, we have turkey again — we don’t like variety,” she said. “We open half of our presents on Christmas Eve and the other half on Christmas morning.”

Like Isgrigg, Killian said she splits her Christmas between two families.

“We do Christmas Eve with my dad’s family, and Christmas Day with my mom’s side of the family,” she said.

Some see the holidays as a time to remember lost relatives.

“On Christmas Eve, we let a bunch of green and red balloons go for my grandfather. His birthday was on Christmas Eve, and he passed when I was 1 year, 1-month-old, to the day,” said Abi Pruden, Connecticut sophomore.

E-mail the author: Heather BellLIFE Senior Reporter