Nataliia Shymanska , a Fulbright Scholar from Ukraine, will be spending her break traveling around to other American cities.

“[Thanksgiving] is very much a family holiday, and I don’t have any family here,” Nataliia said, “It is all very unfamiliar to me; that is why I am not going to celebrate by myself.”

Shymanska , like many international students, will be spending her Thanksgiving break away from home while American students sit around the family dinner table.

According to the stories of several international students, their Thanksgiving plans range from not celebrating at all to celebrating the holiday with stateside second families.

Shymanska said although she does not have a thorough knowledge of the holiday, she appreciates its themes of togetherness and appreciation.

Koji Tokushige , a freshman in mechanical engineering, has been a resident of North Carolina for six years. Tokushige’s parents, who once lived close by, have moved back to Japan. Tokushige said he does not celebrate Thanksgiving but will enjoy the time off.

Some international students still celebrate the holiday, however.

Ken Akiyama , an undeclared freshman from Japan, has celebrated Thanksgiving every year since he moved to the U.S .

“I have a friend that lives here full time that has invited my family to eat [Thanksgiving] with them for the past three years,” Akiyama said, “We celebrate with them by eating the traditional food.”

Akiyama said there is no holiday like Thanksgiving in Japan. However, he believes that many of the themes of the holiday are celebrated everyday at his home.

“We celebrate for appreciation for food everyday before you eat something, but we don’t have a specific holiday for it,” Akiyama said.

Tokushige believes that in Japan, the Japanese New Year shows similarities to Thanksgiving.

“I think that the Japanese New Year is the biggest event where family dwellers get together.” Tokushige said.

Jonathan Boffa , sophomore in graphic design from Italy, will be spending his Thanksgiving break in Raleigh without his family. He believes that Thanksgiving resembles another holiday that is widely celebrated.

“When I think of a Thanksgiving dinner, the closest that comes to mind is Christmas,” Boffa said. “You get together with your family and eat a lot of food.”

Shymanska also saw a resemblance between Christmas and Thanksgiving.

“In general, we have the same spirit, but to Americans it’s very special, like Christmas,” Shymanska said. “In my country we don’t have that kind of national allegiance holiday.”

Shymanska said there are no non-religious holidays that are celebrated so strongly in Ukraine. She also said Christmas is celebrated on January sixth to the seventh in Ukraine, as opposed to December 25.

Thanksgiving is a holiday mainly celebrated in the United States and Canada. Both European settlements have celebrated Thanksgiving since the early 1600s in celebration of the travel overseas and to, of course, be thankful of what they have.

Canada and the U.S . share an identity as a settlement, something that Japan, Ukraine, and Italy do not possess.

Boffa said he didn’t know a lot about Thanksgiving, but as an American for only a year, it is not something he feels the need to celebrate.

“I know that it is about Indians and turkey,” Boffa said, “You break bread with the Indians.”