How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What are your personal traditions?
My traditions all throughout growing up remained the same. Predictable, but wonderful.
I have a lot of great memories that come with Thanksgiving; waking up to see the Macy’s parade, eating a hot breakfast, having an awesome Thanksgiving meal, watching Thanksgiving Charlie Brown, and passing out with a food coma.
Then, maybe later on that evening, we’d all grab leftovers and gather around to watch a movie.
I loved it.
But these last few years have been different.
Since we travel full-time, we usually come home around Christmas time, so Thanksgiving has to be figured out in whatever country we’re living in. And that usually means we’ll go out to eat since our Airbnb kitchen might not have everything we need to cook a full-blown meal.
However, this year is different. Because of the pandemic, we’d rather not travel until there’s a vaccine, so we’re with family. And excited! We’ll be having a lot of people over that I haven’t seen in awhile, I won’t have to cook (ok, I’ll be making some cookies 🤷♀️), there will be a roaring fire, a big tree, and lots of fun (obviously).
But, that’s just me. What about you? What are you plans? Feel free to tell me about them as well if you want.
Happy holidays. ♥️
PS – Here’s 11 of the best pieces of advice on hosting that I’ve ever read (& personally learned). Also, where’s your favorite place to travel to in the US? And here’s an apple baked oatmeal recipe with caramel sauce for your Thanksgiving breakfast. 🙂
We always go around the table before we eat and pray and say what we are thankful for. My 3 boys are grown and they have continued this with their families too.
That’s so nice Stacey! ♥️
Growing up we always got together with our grandparents and aunt, uncle and cousins. My sisters and I would watch the parade and look forward to the family coming. We would get dressed up. Help mom set the table and the day before bake desserts. Our favorite recipe we still make is a cheese broccoli casserole. Also, I remember my grandmother bringing babka and pierogi she made for every holiday.
Ok… I officially wish I had your family! that all sounds so delicious and good! 😀
Even before the pandemic, our Thanksgivings had gotten smaller. So much of our family has moved. Many of our recent Thanksgivings have been with a few friends-which was very fun. We would usually play Pictionary; teams of boys vs. girls. After several hilarious rounds of Pictionary, we would grab some left overs and all of us would watch a movie. Like so many others around the country, our Thanksgiving this year will be different. This year I am making a small turkey dinner for my kids, my husband, and myself. To help things feel a little more festive we will actually decorate our Christmas tree that evening. We haven’t ruled out playing a game- most likely Clue, and we will definitely finish the evening with a movie. We haven’t decided which one yet, but I am totally open to suggestions :). I hope all of you have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!
It’s so nice to hear that even though things have gotten smaller, you’re finding ways to still make it special and fun. And Apples to Apples is a personal favorite of mine. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe!
My Thanksgiving tradition will be to make sweet potatoe casserole and put up christmas tree. After we eat. Always spend time with family and say what we are thankful for. We also do Thanksgiving crafts
I’ve never thought of putting up the tree the day of Thanksgiving. I like that idea!
I no longer have Turkey for Thanksgiving, my mom used to cook a wonderful Turkey while she was the host of Thanksgiving. After I took over some 10 years ago (she is now 103 and stopped hosting TG about 10 or 12 years ago). I made Turkey for the first 2 years after I took over, but my brother and I decided we no longer wanted the over work of prepping a Turkey the way mom did (she would have rice and peas (pigeon peas or beans), a garden salad, sweet potatoes, and assorted vegetables and her chicken empanadas. I make roast chicken, pork spare ribs (my kid loves these), sweet potatoes, rice with mixed veges, a large green salad, and mixed vegetables. I also add a pumpkin pie and an apple pie. We gather, the boys watch football after the Macy’s day parade while we women chat and much on the assorted fruit that is part of the food fest. Those are our Crespo-Ramirez family traditions.
Oh.. the chicken empanadas sound so good! Actually… everything you’re having sounds good! Your family sounds like fun to be with!
You are so right; these last few years have been different. I never really thought of it as a tradition but I would invite the family to my house for dinner every Thanksgiving, and since I loved to cook (and bake), we always had a huge spread of food when we got together. We had our favorites every year – turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, yams with toasted marshmallows, to name a few – but I would always try a new recipe. My sister’s families have expanded; some of them have married and moved away, or they are busy hopping from house to house, and only visit for 15 minutes before they’re off to someone else’s house for dinner. It’s nearly impossible to get everyone together anymore. I’ve spent these past few holiday dinners with mom ❤ There’s no reason to entertain, or try a new recipe, and quite honestly, the holidays have become just another day to me. I guess that’s the new tradition, in my household anyway.
That’s definitely understandable Julie! I’m sorry to hear that so many have moved away or became so busy. ❤️
We gather around the piano and each bring our instruments and voices and sing for a few hours.
That sounds like fun!
Oh my gosh! We totally would play spoons too! It has been years since I did that as a kid with my four siblings plus my 5 cousins. It got intense!
We always had what we called a Thanksgiving Tin. My mom saved a metal tin from the chocolate covered European shortbread cookies that they bought at Costco (so yummy!). We traced our hand and colored it in. The thumb was the head and we added the gobble. The other four fingers became the feathers. We added legs and colored it all in and taped it on. Similar to these ones:
https://www.google.com/search?q=traced+hand+turkey&oq=traced+hand+tu&aqs=chrome.0.0i457j69i57.4772j1j7&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=PwlFxPoGBWKEqM
https://www.easy-crafts-for-kids.com/thanksgiving-hand-turkey-craft.html
Since we had a big family, sometimes we made multiple tins.
Then we all would write on small papers what we were thankful for that year. Sometimes we shared it but most of the time I think we saved it to be shared the next year as kind of a time capsule. It is nice to look back on all those years and who visited with us for our meal and what they said they were grateful for. It really hits ya in the feels when you go back through them after family had moved away and grandparents have passed. It is nice to see how thankful they were mainly to just be together…something I think we all need and wish for right now during this pandemic.
Wow! I wish I could have experienced Thanksgiving with you and your family! It really does sound lovely. ❤️
I would always help my grandmother or dad cook dinner and my siblings and I would pick a dessert to make. We would watch the parade on TV and if the Stealers were playing we watch the game. Sometimes we could get a game of flag football going if we couldn’t the kids would go outside and play while the adults stayed inside
Sounds like such a pleasant day!
I wrote it all out then the computer ate it
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear this! Well if you ever want to type it out later, feel free to. I’d be happy to hear about your traditions. ❤️
My biggest Thanksgiving tradition is making my homemade pumpkin pie. No matter how our holiday has looked or who we have celebrated it with my pies are a must. One year my daughter had been sick and was afraid she would miss the holiday. After one slice of my pie with extra whipped cream of course she said she was cured and could join the family at the table. My son tells everyone that will listen that my famous pumpkin pie will ruin every other pumpkin pie for you it’s that good. Over the years I have branched out and created a sugar free version for my diabetic family members. One year I wasn’t able to travel to see my grandparents but my mom was still going to go. They informed me they would not be having pumpkin pie that year just because I wouldn’t be there to make it. I wasn’t going to let that happen so I made sure my mom stopped by to pick up two sugar free pies on the way. Each year I still make several pies and we eat them no matter the time of day until they are gone. My favorite way is extra whipped cream on top for breakfast and it’s especially sweet after all the holiday work of feast making is done.
Oh my goodness, I love this! Now I really want your pies! You need to mail me some over. 😉
Emily, that sounds like my kind of breakfast, pumpkin pie with extra whipped cream and a cup of coffee ☕ YUM!
Emily! Would you mind sharing your recipe for sugar free pumpkin pie please? My dad is diabetic and some more of my family are prediabetic. We have been trying to eat healthier overall and I would love a healthy pumpkin pie recipe!
The traditions when I was little was breakfast first then presents. I have tried to keep the tradition going its hard though. There are no other traditions for the household.
Well thank you for sharing!
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on your blessings. Even in these pandemic times we still have a reason to be grateful. My family, one by one share why we are grateful.
We also are happy to share in Caribbean food along with the staples of the season. As a first generation American I much enjoy the ties that bind us to our Caribbean roots through food every Thanksgiving. My Mom passed this year at the age of 92. The tradition continues. Thanks Mom….
You are so right Sharon! And that sounds so wonderful Sharon! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
I was 18 when I got married and my in-laws were divorced so it was up to me to make the Thanksgiving dinner. Now I was a girl that didn’t have any interest in cooking especially a giant meal. LOL But we got through it. And I did that for several years till my children got married and we tried several things but finally landed on having our Thanksgiving on Friday, because it’s really disappointing when you make all that food and no one is hungry. It works out really well. We are more relaxed because we know no one has to rush off to someone else’s house. We always play spoons. Really fun. We changed the rules of the game a little because it’s just more fun when everyone gets to play.
I love this! That sounds like so much fun! And that’s really smart; what a great idea! I never thought of that. 🙂
I remember this one time it was Thanksgiving it was so hot that year, that we ate outside on the picnic table! We took everything outside! What we always did as a “Traditional Thanksgiving” is say what we are most Thankful for! Rather its for the food, one another, or just for having a happy and healthy life. What I remembered the most was that both of my great grandparents we’re both still with us. We miss them a great deal around holidays, my grandma used to bake the best pies you would put in your mouth! Anyways Happy Thanksgiving
That sounds so smart and fun! What a great idea! And I totally understand that; it sounds like your great grandparents were wonderful people. ❤️
I always make my turkey in a brown paper bag. No, the bag never burns! I also cook it breast down. All of the fat in a bird is in it’s back. So if you cook it back up, as the fat cooks it becomes the juice and runs down inside the bird to keep it very moist. Delish!! And oyster stuffing, which my whole family loves!
I really liked going for evening walks after the big meal and just taking in the fall weather before winter came, and seeing the Christmas lights that were already out on display. 🙂
Now that sounds so pleasant! Sadly it’s already snowing here so we can’t do that ourselves. But hopefully in the future. 🙂
I really did love having Martha Stewart’s turkey recipe every year. It was always delicious & turned out so moist!
I love that recipe! It’s so good!