As the leaves fall and nights get colder, there comes a holiday that we can rely on to drive off the cold and bring back the warmth.

Nope, not Christmas . . .

Thanksgiving!

Now I could go on and on about the controversial history of our national holiday, but I’d like to get to the real meat (pun intended?) of what the people really care about: the food.

Thanksgiving, for many Americans, is a holiday celebrated not for its origins but for the exquisite and comforting foods. These foods make the chilly bite of November bearable.

For this reason, I surveyed our community's Thanksgiving day favorites. With over 50 Beaver Area High School responses, my Google survey helped me determine the best Thanksgiving foods.

The community's favorite main meat dish, the obvious winner, turkey, took the title. With about 67% of votes (35 people), the Thanksgiving staple was followed by ham (about 21%, 11 people) and chicken (about 10%, five people).

One respondent took the bougie route with an answer of duck (and I’m 90% sure that was history teacher Mr. Dane Schlenke).

Next, we move down the metaphorical buffet to our favorite vegetable option. With 30 votes (about 57%), potatoes took the crown of vegetable favorite (okay, technically it’s a starch, but it grows in the ground, hence, veg). I couldn't agree more: potatoes are versatile, comforting, and beloved by the masses—a truly deserving winner. Corn took second place with 10 votes (about 19%), followed by green beans (my personal favorite) with 8 votes (about 15%).

Moving further down the line, we reach fruits. This race was close with a difference of only three votes. And the winner is . . . APPLES. Though an American classic, apples was a controversial win surpassing the Thanksgiving staple, cranberries (not the band), by about 5%.

The third-place title was an even closer battle, with grapes winning only one more vote than the option of having no fruit (the nutrition pyramid would be very disappointed). One respondent voted for cranberries (the band); although not a fruit, this band is considered crucial for a music lover's diet.

Now onto a more vague option, the favorite of the gourd/squash family. The options provided for this category (for context) were zucchini, pumpkin, butternut squash, none, and other. The decided winner is . . . PUMPKIN (not surprising). Unlike fruits, the staple of the gourd/squash family took the title.

For second place, two votes determined the winner: zucchini. The option for “none” won third place, before butternut squash. One unique respondent added a squash I was unfamiliar with, acorn squash, which (according to Google) tastes mildly sweet and nutty.

The closest race of our thrilling survey was the macaroni and cheese option. Though an uncommon Thanksgiving food in the North, 11% of respondents (6 votes) preferring to go without this cheesy southern staple.

Most respondents, 46 people, channeled the southern way of incorporating mac and cheese into their Thanksgiving meal. First place was won by homemade stovetop beating homemade baked by a single vote. Personally, I disagree with this result; baked macaroni and cheese is superior to the boring stovetop variety.

For the mashed potatoes option, homemade mashed potatoes won the vast majority of votes with 39 votes (75%). The silver medal went to those who chose no mashed potatoes, rejecting a wonderfully blessed food. The third-place winner, my personal favorite, was Bob Evan’s premade mashed potatoes—the best mashed potatoes in the world. (Fun fact: one serving contains nearly 20% of your recommended daily sodium intake, so enjoy responsibly.)

In terms of casseroles, most respondents (20 votes) answered: “no thank you.” The top-three casseroles, however, were green bean casserole (with 14 votes), sweet potato casserole (11 votes), and Thanksgiving casserole (a casserole consisting mainly of turkey and green beans, with 4 votes).

Senior Alyssa Caldwell added, “Green bean casserole might be one of my all-time favorite foods, period,” in the midst of filling out the survey.

Onto the yes please or no thank you options . . . When asked yes or no to stuffing (my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast), about 79% (41 people) said yes. When asked about salad, 67% (35 healthy people) of respondents said yes. With cranberry sauce, however, about 61% of respondents (32 people) said no to the Thanksgiving classic.

So what about the bread options? This category had an unsurprising result. The winner of this battle of the foods was buttered rolls with about 65% of votes (34 people). Rolls were followed by the southern staple—cornbread (13 people), leaving loaf bread last (5 people who are missing out).

Finally, we reach the long-awaited desserts. When asked about their favorite dessert option among pie, cake, or cookies, participants overwhelmingly voted pie as their favorite with 71% of votes (37 people). Cookies left cake in the dust (or is that crumbs?) with 11 votes dominating cake’s 4 votes.

And the overwhelmingly favorite pie? Pumpkin: 28 participants (33% of votes) declared it the best. The pie runner-up was my favorite, apple pie, with 17 votes. One respondent claimed lemon pie to be their favorite—a pie I had never thought to be associated with Thanksgiving.

Our Gobble Day’s last question was open-ended asking participants for their favorites that weren't included in the survey. One person said one of their favorite Thanksgiving staples was deviled eggs. Another person mentioned Kentucky spoon bread (similar to a softer cornbread), and a third respondent mentioned apple cider (appropriate).

Some respondents noted spreads and sauces like hot pepper jelly, and one Thanksgiving staple I am ashamed of forgetting to add . . . GRAVY. One enthusiastic person even expressed their passion for gravy by responding, “ALLLLL THE GRRRAAAAAAAVY!”

With this passion, I leave you to ponder the greatness of Thanksgiving dinner staples and hopefully some inspiration for the upcoming holiday. Have a happy Thanksgiving, and be sure to express your gratitude to your family chefs for the marvelous food!