A Thanksgiving Jack-O-Lantern

One of my students asked me about our Thanksgiving celebration. Curious, I asked him what he thought it was.

Student: Well, I don't really know.
Me: Have you heard anything about our Thanksgiving? Just tell me what you know.
Student: Okay. I know there are pumpkins.
Me: Pumpkins?
Student: Yes. Pumpkins with faces in the middle of the table.
Me: Like a jack-o-lantern?
Student: YES! A Jack Lantern. In the middle of the table. With a big chicken.
Me: A big chicken?
Student: Yes. It says "gobble gobble."
Me: Yes, we call that a "turkey." But, you're right. It's similar to a big chicken.
Student: Oh, a turkey. So, yeah. That's thanksgiving. Jack Lantern and turkey.
Me: Good guess!

I like that he took a stab at it, even if he combined a few of our holidays

I did get a chance to explain the history and why it's called "Thanks Giving" and then we talked about what we're thankful for. It was a good lesson.