But the historical significance of the holiday is not all that makes being left alone on campus difficult.
"I'm going to dinner with my sister on Thursday, but the weekend will be tough," said Istvan Zollei '03, a native of Hungary.
"For the international students who are alone," he continued, "this will be a lonely time. If I didn't have my sister, it would be very bad."
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And when Thanksgiving is no longer spent with family, some of the holiday's significance is lost.
"I just see this as a welcome respite from classes," Kim said of his first Thanksgiving away from his family. "I will see my family in a month anyway."