Thanksgiving Day Family Traditions

Thanksgiving means many things to different people. For some it is a chance to get together with friends to watch football and for many others, it is an opportunity to spend time with family. The following are some of the ways to celebrate Thanksgiving traditions with your family:

For many people this holiday is not complete without turkey and pumpkin pie; it is our traditional Thanksgiving meal. And although the holiday celebration tends to center around the meal, there can be much more to this family celebration than just food.

It is a time to enjoy the family traditions you now have and to create new ones. It is a chance for cousins to visit and play together; for adults and older children to play board games and enjoy each others company; to relax, watch a football game or reminisce about those special memories of those who are unable to be there. For others, it is a time when children look forward to pulling the wishbone and making a wish. This is usually the time that the older siblings draw names for Christmas gift-giving in our family and an opportunity to remind everyone to make up their Christmas list.

One of our traditions is we have a Thanksgiving runner for the table where everyone can write on it in a permanent marker to say what they are thankful for. Another one is a game we play as a family based on each individual's uniqueness. An example of the questions are:

- Who is calm, collected and organized?
- Who can belly dance?
- Who is sometimes the absent-minded professor?
- Who meditates?
- Who is allergic to bees?
- Who is the Queen of Substitutions?
- Who bought a car based solely on how clean the engine was?
- Who counts steps and tiles while walking or sitting in a public area?
- Which two people in the family have broken their left wrists?

This is an example of the many types of questions that can be asked and works particularly well in large families,. It's a fun game too while everyone tries to guess who in the family it is. This is especially true if the questions and answers are humorous. Most families probably have many such questions that they could think of adding to their game.

Another family tradition is having each member bring a food item to put into a Thanksgiving basket for a less fortunate family. Perhaps each year a different family member can be in charge of organizing this tradition for that year.

There are many traditions that can be included in your family's Thanksgiving celebrations; these are but a few. Traditions draw families together; they encourage teamwork, co-operation and laughter. And most things when done with a common goal in mind are fun. I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving celebrations.