Thanksgiving Day Traditions and Memories

Thanksgiving and traditions go hand-in-hand. Each family has their own traditions that make their holiday celebrations complete. When families join, more traditions are added and this makes for an interesting holiday to say the least.

Taking off that special day to spend with family and prayer is something many people look forward to in their hectic lifestyles. These common traditions are probably some of the things you remember most about Thanksgiving get-togethers.

Thanksgiving Day Prayers

Many families begin Thanksgiving by attending church prayer services in the morning. This is a special day for churches and they provide wonderful services that leave a joyful feeling in your heart. What better way to start the day?

Prayer traditions before Thanksgiving meals vary widely from family to family. Often, prayers are said every year by the same family member, giving thanks for the countless blessings enjoyed.

Some families prefer to rotate members, so every year, a different family member says the Thanksgiving prayer. More popular, every member says their personal prayer out loud, taking turns.

A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

If you're like me, you look forward to the Thanksgiving day feast. The common traditional Thanksgiving dinner consists of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, olives, cranberries and a whole variety of individual preferences. Baked pumpkin and apple pie covered with heaps of whipped topping seems to be the most popular choice for dessert.

The same tablecloth, dishes and silverware are often used year after year and are part of the Thanksgiving meal. While is doesn't change how the food tastes, it does indeed set the mood for Thanksgiving festivities.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Macy's parade is a favorite for children children with balloons, floats and characters larger than life. It began in 1927 and takes place in New York City annually on Thanksgiving Day. Look for the parade this year at 9:00 AM ET.

Drawing Names for Christmas

If your family is large, then you are probably going to draw names for Christmas gifts. Thanksgiving is the ideal day to do this! The whole family is together in one place, and the Christmas sales begin the next day.

Make sure you set a price limit for the adults and children. This makes it easier when it comes to shopping. Have family members make a wish list of items and ideas in that price range and pass it around. Save time by discussing who will fulfill particular items on the lists.

Traditions that just "Happen"

These Thanksgiving day traditions aren't planned, but seem to take place every year for some families. It sure does for us and it may sound familiar to you too.

Do you have any sports fanatics in your family? Then you probably know that football games are a crucial part of the holidays. The men are usually glued to the TV while the women are preparing or cleaning up after the meal. This may not be a desirable situation, but sometimes it is inevitable.

I've had some lucky times when Dad, perhaps feeling guilty, comes into the kitchen and proceeds to clean up for an hour. This is certainly not expected, but it's appreciated. Just that one time every now & then seems to "float" him for the next few holiday meals.

Make Your Own Thanksgiving Traditions

You may begin a new tradition without realizing it. Have you ever used the same serving platter year after year simply because it is the most convenient? You may be surprised that someone may notice if, for some reason, you don't use it. Because of that, keep a log of when your dishes were acquired, and a memo with any history about that item in a "Thanksgiving" notebook.

Food traditions are always favorites when new tasty recipes are discovered. Get the cooks of the family to look through cookbooks and try new ideas and recipes for side dishes. Put together a holiday cookbook containing all of the successful recipes after they pass the family test. If you don't have time to this before Thanksgiving, this day is best for planning your Christmas meal.

Due to time and work schedules, you may need to alter your traditions for a stress-free holiday. There is no pleasure if you're doing all of the work. Assign duties to family members and if someone offers additional help, take them up on it!

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