Thanksgiving Traditions

Thanksgiving traditions vary from family to family; from region to region. In our family, Thanksgiving is the 'big' holiday of the year. Grandma loved this holiday and made sure it was always a joyful, family time of feasting and recreation. The holiday meal was a shared affair, with each of her children's families bringing something to share. My assignment has always been to bring a large green salad, a side-dish, and dessert. Although Grandma has passed away, we continue her tradition with Grandpa in charge. The children are all coming home from colleges and universities throughout the USA and Canada. This is the family's time to express gratitude and express appreciation for those we hold dear.

I've been thinking of things we done over the years for this traditional family event. Nature walks after dinner have been common, but the time that brings back fondest memories for me is when the children were very young. After dinner we went into the garage (cleared out for this activity) where one of the adults read the story of Thanksgiving aloud. The children were dressed up in the costume of Pilgrims and Native Americans. Props were set up and the entire story was reenacted. What fun the little ones had! And the history of the first Thanksgiving was reinforced in their minds as something to be thankful for and of historical importance. We finished the day with a huge pinata that they broke all over the floor and then scrambled for the sweet treats inside. I don't remember what the sweet treats were, but I'm sure it was probably dried fruits and packets of other healthy treats. The day ended with a wagon hayride and singing of songs.

Memories of Thanksgiving's past. . .with more traditions to be made. . .

Enjoy a blessed and thankful week!