Thanksgiving Traditions?

[PrincessFiona]

Do you guys have any special traditions for thanksgiving? I'd like to come up with a few things that we do every year at thanksgiving. Since we usually don't have extended family up for this holiday, it's pretty much 'just us' and so it doesn't feel as festive. I was thinking of having the kids think of 3 things that they are thankful for this year and have them tell us at the table...and maybe institute a game afternoon where we play board games...

We do have one tradition..we always kick off the holiday season by drinking eggnog and watching 'Christmas Vacation' on Thanksgiving eve.

kris

[Auspicious]

Ever since my niece and nephew got to be school age, the three of us make everyone's place cards every year, with markers and turkey stickers, and such. It started out with me writing the names and them applying the stickers, but now we're up to me spelling out the names while my niece writes them and my nephew applies the stickers. Maybe eventually I'll be fired from the project altogether.

[BonBon]

Kris, I was thinking of having everyone do that this year. (going around the table saying what they are thankful for.) I had hoped to be pg(sortof) so I could go last and say what I was thankful for. I think that would be a great way to tell the family.

Julie, that's a great idea. I'll have to start that when Big G gets old enough.

We don't really have any traditions. I finally got a Christmas Story on DVD, and two days ago I actually bought a HDTV *and* a DVD player so we can watch it on Thanksgiving Night. DH and I decided to finally get with the times...our current tv doesn't even have the proper connections to hook up a dvd player. It's a dinosaur.

I like to start decorating the day after. Does that count?

We watch Christmas Vacation too!

[SueC]

We go around the table and say what we are thankful for. Other than that, the only thing close to a tradition that we do is that we always put our Christmas decorations up on Thanksgiving.

[DCJenn]

The day after thanksgiving we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. and we always go to a museum or something downtown- like all of the other DC residents with relatives in town!

Jenn

While we don't do this every year, it's one of my absolute favorite things: serving Thanksgiving dinner to the homeless at my hometown's church and then going home to be with my family. We have done this every other year or so since I was about 10, and it has been one of the most impactful holiday memories I have. Not to mention the humbling aspect of it all. This woman I met recently was telling me she does Meals on Wheels Thanksgiving morning. For some, it's the only visit they'll have that day.

So when we don't do that, we host Thanksgiving for the extended family, and it's crazy getting ready for 30 or so people! I love it.

Steph

[samssugarmomma]

We always go to the movies as a family - which is fun because DH's family is huge and we usually take up an entire row in the theater.

[Rapunzel]

We eat the turkey and then we put up the Christmas tree!

Yes, we're all very tired by the end of Thanksgiving. :@