By Aaliyah Pamplin
Thanksgiving is one of America’s most widely celebrated holidays, 91% of Americans observe it, according to Pew Research Center. However, for some college students, the fourth Thursday in November no longer deserves a trip home.
From rising travel costs to complicated family dynamics to the simple fact that Christmas break is only a couple weeks away, some students are deciding that Thanksgiving just isn’t worth the trip. And while the traditional image of a crowded table, the perfect turkey and the big family and friends gathering still dominates holiday ads, the reality for some people especially college campuses look very different.
At universities across the country, the Wednesday-to-Sunday break feels less like a migration home and more like a pause button; quiet dorms, open study lounges and the smell of microwaved meals replacing grandma’s famous pumpkin pie. Though only 5% of Americans plan to eat Thanksgiving alone, according to Pew data in 2024.
For Jae’acesis Lewis, a UNCP Freshman who stays across campus says, the decision not to go home for Thanksgiving was simple. “I’m not in communication with my family back home,” she said. “So going home would be pretty much pointless.”
But emotional decision-making wasn’t her only obstacle; the other was money, a Jericho Wall will not fall down.
“I’m not sure of the exact price, but it would be a little pricey,” Lewis said. “I’d have to drive six to eight hours there and back, plus pay for a place to stay. I already have bills down here, so I’d be tight on money if I decided to go.”
Her situation reflects a national trend of saving money. Thanksgiving weekend is the most popular time of year to decorate. However, this year, 28% of Americans are spending less on holiday décor and 26% are cutting back on gifts, according to a Rocket Mortgage and Redfin survey. Economic uncertainty has reshaped holiday habits as well as students, many already juggling tuition, rent and part-time work.
Lewis said staying put even helped her financially. “I’m able to work more hours because I’m not in class,” she explained. “That’s helping me save money.”
Still, the holiday looked different. “Thanksgiving feels like a regular day to me this year, nothing special,” she said. “This is my first year spending it alone, so it doesn’t really have the holiday feel.”
For other students, the choice is more practical than personal.
“It’s just two weeks more for the semester to end,” said Elizabeth Sopakirite West, an international and out of state student who also remained on campus. “Secondly, the cost of traveling.”
Sopakirite West estimates between $200 and $400 for a plane ticket to go back home, an amount that feels impossible to justify. And she’s not alone. A vast majority of Thanksgiving travelers live within an hour of family, Pew reports. Students who live farther—especially international or out-of-state students, face disproportionately higher costs.
According to Pew, “only 2% of Americans overall expect to fly, while even fewer expect to take some other form of transportation, such as local or regional transit.”
Sopakirite West isn’t working this semester, which means every dollar matters. “Staying on campus helps me cut down on travel tickets and Uber,” she said.
But she felt the emotional weight of the choice. “It’s lonely,” West said. “I don’t have a lot of friends and family to celebrate with presently, but it’s peaceful this year.”
Despite these individual stories, some students say they aren’t seeing a broad shift. “Pretty much everyone I know went home,” Lewis said. “I don’t think this trend will grow. Most students look forward to the holidays to get a break from campus life.”
However, there is a slight shift in the holidays this. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the classic Thanksgiving dinner—turkey, stuffing, rolls, sweet potatoes, veggies and pie—averaged $55.18 this year. Which is 5% cheaper than last year, however it is still higher than the $46.90 average in 2020. Meanwhile, research from the holiday-shopping industry shows 68% of Americans believe Thanksgiving will be more expensive this year, even as more people say they’re trying to cut back on holiday spending.
All these pressures, such as money, travel, inflation, work schedules, hit students harder than older adults, who tend to live closer to family and have more stable incomes. Combine that with an academic calendar where Thanksgiving sits just before the finish line, which means staying on campus begins to make sense for some students who live in Timbuktu.
Then, there’s another factor quietly influencing people’s choices: winter break.
For many families, Christmas, not Thanksgiving, is a nonnegotiable holiday. Airlines, retailers and advertisers have helped amplify that shift. Holiday merchandise now hits stores before Halloween, and polls from Fox News and AP News show Americans increasingly feel that Christmas is “swallowing” Thanksgiving.
In other words, students may feel less cultural pressure to go home for Thanksgiving when a bigger holiday—the one with gift exchanges, weeks-long breaks and family traditions—looms right behind it.
West sees this firsthand. She says students skipping Thanksgiving often do so because “some international students live far or may not have plans for a place to stay. Others have campus jobs or find it easier to stay on campus for the break.”
Not everyone is opting out, but for those who do, Thanksgiving is becoming flexible, some may say even optional.
The Thanksgiving spread may still be iconic. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may still march on. And millions of Americans still will gather around tables to say what they’re thankful for. But for students navigating cost, distance, work and life transitions, Thanksgiving is slowly shifting from a mandatory family affair to a regular day.