Family Thanksgiving Traditions

It’s that time! The time of year when we sit down and enjoy the company of friends and family. For me and my family, I am all about starting fun family traditions that my kids can one day pass onto their own families. I love holidays and all they stand for. Trying to incorporate the true meaning of the holiday along with some fun is something I strive to do. I have done some research and come up with some fun traditions that will make your turkey day that much brighter and more meaningful.

 World of Homemaking does the Turkey Day Awards! Ask each family member for their nominations and be sure everyone gets an award. For example, “best haircut of the year” or “toughest survivor of a home renovation.” You make awards in these cute pine cone scrolls tutorial.

A tradition that would be fun to start is a Thanksgiving Book. Every year each member of the family is given a sheet of paper to write down the things for which they are thankful. You then put the sheets into a binder and save them so that next year you can look back and see what everyone wrote the year before and then compare it to the current year.

I found this idea from Country Living. On strips of paper, write quotes or phrases. Fasten strip at end with double-sided tape, so it is slightly smaller than the glass’s circumference; place on each drinking glass. Invite guests, when seated, to read quote aloud.

Anonymously appreciate your neighbors. Show a neighbor some love and gratitude by leaving homemade treats and a kind note on their doorstep. You can also do this for one neighbor with a note that encourages them to “pay it forward” by doing the same thing for another neighbor.

Participate in a turkey trot. A turkey trot is a fun family run that typically takes place on Thanksgiving morning. You can usually choose to do a 5K, a 10K, a toddler trot, or a family fun run. At most trots, all participants receive a frozen turkey as a parting gift, which you can then donate to a shelter to continue the tradition of giving.Not only is this an exciting tradition to start with your family, but it will also burn off some of the calories that will be consumed later on! Ready to go?

Volunteer at a food drive. More than one in five kids in the U.S. are living in poverty. An excellent tradition to start with your kids is to take them to a local homeless shelter to donate food or help serve the hungry.

Find your local food bank through Feeding America, take your kids to the store and let them pick out items to donate, and go deliver the food together. You will teach your kids the importance of giving back and helping others, in addition to showing them just how thankful they should be for their own situation. Click here for more ideas on how to give back on Thanksgiving.

Debut “Elf on the Shelf”. To lighten it up a notch (and keep your kids well-behaved throughout the season), a fun Thanksgiving tradition to start with your kids is to debut “Elf on the Shelf” every year on Thanksgiving morning. Perhaps set him next to the pumpkin pie in the fridge, or give him his own seat at the dinner table.

COMMON THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS:

• Charity: Many communities create food drives that collect non-perishable packaged and canned foods for the less fortunate or find other ways to serve others. Here are 10 ways to give back with your family this year.
• Prayer: Places of worship offer special Thanksgiving Day services. Here are 6 Blessings and prayers for you to worship with friends and family at home.
• Thankfulness: Many families take turns sharing what they are most thankful for during their Thanksgiving meal. But we challenge everyone to keep Thanksgiving gratitude alive all year.
• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: In 1924, the Macy’s department store held its first Thanksgiving parade in New York City—a tradition that continues today and is known as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. During the parade, larger than life balloons depicting famous characters, elaborate floats themed around history and pop culture, along with popular entertainers such as The Rockettes of Radio City Music Hall, high school and college marching bands, and musical performers travel down Central Park West from 77th Street to Columbus Circle along Central Park South to 6th Avenue, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street and along 34th Street to Macy’s Herald Square (34th Street). The Macy’s Day Parade has been televised nationally on NBC since 1952. Here are more fun facts about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• Kids Crafts: Both at home and at school, children nationwide create a variety of festive crafts to commemorate the Thanksgiving holiday. From turkeys made by tracing their little hands, to Pilgrim hats and feathered Indian headdresses, creativity runs wild. Check out these creative kid-friendly Thanksgiving crafts.
• Football: For many, turkey and football go hand in hand, and Americans spend much of Thanksgiving Day watching and/or playing football. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, according to The Pro Football Hall of Fame, football games on Thanksgiving was once a tradition among colleges and high schools, but expanded once the NFL started scheduling games during the holiday. The first two Thanksgiving Day football games are hosted by the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys; and a third game with rotating host teams has been played every year since 2006.
• Making a Wish: The wishbone (or furcular bone) is often taken out of the turkey after the roasted poultry has been sliced, and tugged on by family members in effort to crack it in half. According to the tale of the wishbone, whomever breaks off the bigger piece of the wishbone will get one special wish granted. This tradition dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C., who believed that birds were sacred. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.
• In 1947 President Harry Truman “pardoned” a turkey the day before it was scheduled to be served up as the main course at the White House Thanksgiving dinner. The pardoning of one very lucky bird by the President is now an annual Thanksgiving event at the White House.
• Holiday Shopping: Recognized as the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, takes place the day after Thanksgiving. Newspapers are filled with ads and special offers from retailers notifying consumers on Thanksgiving Day of the drastic markdowns on popular products in an effort to get as much early holiday sales as possible.