Carving jack-o-lanterns. Trick-or-treating door-to-door. Eating turkey, dressing and pies.

These traditions come naturally to most Americans.

FILAS (Foundations of Intensive Language Acquisition and Support) presents American culture, vocabulary and history to help those Mavericks who have just arrived to the United States, creating a more inclusive experience for them. This fall, FILAS newcomers will participate in traditional Halloween and Thanksgiving customs.

“We study American history as a group,” FILAS teacher Brittany Bussell said. “Then, if there is anything I can do for them to experience the culture, I will provide activities for them.”

Activities included pumpkin carvings Oct. 29 and trick-or-treating by visiting office staffs, classrooms, and the library on Halloween, Oct. 31.

A Thanksgiving dinner will occur in November where students are given an assignment to write and present an ‘I’m thankful for …’ speech. Later that day, students enjoy the feast.

Sophomore Andrea Santana arrived from Brazil less than a year ago.

“I’m mostly looking forward to pumpkin carving since it’s Halloween related,” Santana said. “So far, it’s one of the most distinct traditions comparing to Brazilian culture.”