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Jenn Savedge

6 Thanksgiving traditions to start this year

Make your holiday more magical and meaningful with these fun family traditions.
Tue, Nov 24 2009 at 8:00 AM EST
Read more: HOLIDAY, THANKSGIVING

Photo: Road Fun/Flickr
Want to make your Thanksgiving mean more than just turkey and football? Maybe it's time to start a few holiday traditions that help you capture the magic, memories and meaning of this holiday. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
 
1. Craft your gratitude: Nothing captures the moment better than a craft. Help your kids make a gratitude wreath from cut-out hand prints that are labeled with things to be thankful for. Or use the same concept to make a thankful turkey and label each feather with something you and your children are grateful for this year. Check out these previous posts on thanksgiving crafts for kids and crafts for teens and tweens for more ideas.
 
2. Show and thanks: Most families take a few moments around the dinner table to discuss the things they are thankful for, but why not make it more meaningful to kids by actually letting them show you why they are giving thanks? Ask each member of the family to bring three items that represent what they are grateful for this year. Whether it's a good grade in school or a toy they share with a sibling, you may get a better glimpse into what items your children truly cherish.
 
3. Get a jump on Christmas: I like to make sure that Thanksgiving gets its proper due. So in our house, we don't decorate, shop, or in any way celebrate Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. But I do cheat a little but by starting some of the crafts on Thanksgiving. After dinner, make it a fun tradition to make a Christmas ornament or other holiday decoration with your kids that you can look forward to and cherish from year to year.
 
4. Cook up some memories: Don't forget to keep family in the forefront while you're cooking up the holiday feast. The meal will be even more meaningful for you and your kids when you serve up Aunt Sadie's famous broccoli casserole and share the family stories behind each dish.
 
5. Can you hear them now? In between the food and football, take a few minutes to catch up with far away family and friends. Pick up the phone and call your relatives or an old college roommate and just get reacquainted. Or try out an Internet-based service like Skype that allows you to make free calls and even use video to connect with family over the Web.
 
6. Get off the couch: Make it a tradition to do something fun and active with your family this Thanksgiving. Play a family touch football game, run a relay race obstacle course, or just go for a walk around the block to walk off all of that turkey!
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Comments(6)

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Posted By Maklala - Thu, Dec 10 2009 at 9:37 AM EST

good things

i like that idea

Posted By Abigail - Wed, Nov 25 2009 at 9:13 PM EST

Awesome

The hand turkey rocks (sorry if you think I am wrong.).I just think that is an awesome idea.I can`t tell you how good that looks.

Posted By keely - Tue, Nov 24 2009 at 5:41 PM EST

happy thanksgiving

great idea

Posted By Pamela Drake - Tue, Nov 24 2009 at 1:58 PM EST

the biggest thing you can do

is just turn off the TV. That alone would build years of memories ("remember that day when we didn't have the TV on from morning to night?")

Posted By Elizabeth - Wed, Nov 25 2009 at 4:14 PM EST

TV is good for some things

No way my family would ever miss the Macy's Day Parade! It's a great Thanksgiving tradition that requires a television (unless you're packed like a sardine in the stands in New York).

Posted By Grey Garvin - Tue, Nov 24 2009 at 1:56 PM EST

more ideas

Here's what i've read are the top traditions:
1. Turkey and Trimmings
From the first Thanksgiving to today's turkey burgers, turkeys are an American tradition dating back centuries. According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep fried turkey from the South.

2. Time Out for.... More

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