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Thanksgiving Traditions: Nine Ideas for Families
One of the highlights of the year in our family happens each November in
an unlikely place: the bowling alley.
Years ago, my in-laws started a tradition of getting together
Thanksgiving morning amid arcade games and greasy fries to bowl a few
games. This Thanksgiving tradition has become a defining event in our
family. Each year, more families join us and we sit back and marvel at
how our web of family and friends continues to compound each year.
Celebrate families and togetherness this Thanksgiving Day with some
time-honored traditions, which give us a sense of family identity and
meaningfulness that can last for generations. Here are nine ideas for
starting new family traditions – and for revering the old ones:
1. Sit down with your family and reminisce about your childhood
celebrations. What do you remember most about Thanksgiving and the days
that follow? Thanksgiving traditions can be much more than just food and
recipes. In what ways did your childhood traditions symbolize particular
values, such as abundance, generosity, the importance of family? What
would you like to do that’s the same? What would you do like to do
differently?
2. Make a small booklet or a mini scrapbook album (which you can either
make or purchase.) Write “Five Things I Love About My Family and
Friends” and keep it out on the table during your Thanksgiving
celebration. Each guest can come and record thoughts and insights. Other
themes to try: “Five Things I’m Thankful For” or “Five Wishes for my
Family and Friends.” An even simpler approach would be to put one sheet
of cardstock out for each year – and combine them together over the
years in a Thanksgiving Gratitude Scrapbook.
3. Keep a Family Gratitude Journal through the year.
Each night, a
family member can share something that they are grateful for. Share the
highlights of this family tradition at the dinner table on Thanksgiving
Day.
4. Make a Gratitude Circle. Before the Thanksgiving meal, everyone
stands and holds hands in a circle. Guests each take a turn sharing what
they are grateful for. Or - if your guests are on the shy side - ask
everyone to write down their blessings on a piece of paper, which you
can read before or after dinner.
5. Designate a particular tablecloth for your family Thanksgiving
celebrations. Provide fabric paints markers where guests can record
their "gratitudes" or special prayers for the year ahead. Ask your
guests to sign and date each message, as you’ll be using the same
tablecloth year after year.
6. Involve the entire family in Thanksgiving decorations.
Family Fun magazine posts lots of creative ideas for the entire
family here: http://familyfun.go.com
7. Make a hostess gift for the person who is cooking this year.
Purchase an apron or a t-shirt or a gift album with sentiments of thanks
from each guest. Present the gift after dinner.
8. Show your gratitude to an unsung hero. Get together with your family
and decide on a person or a group in your community who could use an
extra pat on the back...firefighters, soldiers, police officers,
volunteers. Put together a special plate of goodies and deliver it (or
pack it up for shipping) as a family.
9. Preserve your traditions. After the meal, record everyone’s favorite
activities. Appoint one person to be the scribe – or ask everyone to jot
down a few thoughts. And don’t forget to take lots of photos. It’s fun
to place disposable cameras throughout the house so everyone can capture
bits of the action.
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