Simple Thanksgiving Traditions Your Family Can Start This Year
Thanksgiving is a great place to start new traditions that bring joy and connection! If you would like to put a little spin on this year's holiday and potentially start some new traditions, consider adding some easy traditions that are personal but meaningful. Most importantly, focus on experiences that promote togetherness and gratitude! Whether you're having a virtual gathering with family or meeting in person, here are a few ideas to get you started for the new Thanksgiving traditions you'll establish.
- Gratitude Jar:Challenge each family member to write what they are thankful for on a slip of paper and put it in a jar. At dinner, share all of the notes with everyone.
- Recipe Exchange: Trade favorite family recipes with family members who are family far and wide, then attempt to cook one that you have never cooked before.
- Memory Walk: Take a walk together around the neighborhood or at a local park, sharing Thanksgiving memories and creating new ones.
- Volunteering Together: Give your family time together by helping others at a local food bank or community kitchen. It it a worthwhile way to give back.
You can start with these few simple traditions, and enjoy new traditions that your family can look forward to each year! And if you're looking for more creative ways to bring the family together, check out some fun Thanksgiving Day activities that are sure to make everyone smile and bond.
Why Thanksgiving Traditions Matter?
Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday; it is a loving way to gather a family and express appreciation and gratitude for one another. Whether new or old, traditions help us make lasting memories while bringing everyone closer together. As our busy lives can take away our time together to create lasting memories, traditions serve as a reminder of the main thing—our family.
Creating simple Thanksgiving traditions can turn ordinary moments into extraordinary memories. These small celebrations are powerful because it allows us to mark the passage of time with memorable favorite activities and put special meaning into our gatherings. Each tradition may seem small, but it adds to the family's bigger picture and memory stories. The best part is that each tradition can be passed down, and your family's special character can last a lifetime.
Simple Thanksgiving Traditions to Start This Year
Create a Thankful Tree
Timed to coincide with Thanksgiving, a feeding frenzy is an excellent way for families to express thankfulness in a tangible fashion, A congregation of tree branches, a vase, and some small paper tags are all the items you need for this project. Follow the crafting instructions for the Tree Tags, assemble the branches to appear like a tree in the vase, and let everyone write what they are thankful for on their piece of paper. Then display the tags on your tree, and voila—a re-memory of the purpose of the season. Now you have a great centerpiece to host at the dinner table where conversations will spark and everyone will acknowledge variables that they are blessed with in their lives.
Start a Thanksgiving Day Family Prayer
No matter if your family is religious or not, it could be a lovely tradition to start Thanksgiving Day with a family prayer or meaningful moment. Before you eat at the table together, gather around the table and take a moment of thanks. You can use a prayer that you have used in the past or create a unique personal prayer together as a family. This tradition sets the tone of gratitude and togetherness and could be a special part of your Thanksgiving Day.
Make Thanksgiving Extra Special with Matching Family Shirts
Why not throw in a little fun for Thanksgiving with matching family shirts? Pick a design that is a festive statement piece, or why not do a matching T-shirt with an original Thanksgiving idea? Whether it's funny turkey images or a heartfelt expression of thanks, wearing thanksgiving family shirts creates a visual reminder of unity and shared joy. That is a wonderful family memory to look back on for years to come. And it makes for an excellent family picture.
Volunteer Together as a Family
Volunteering as a family can provide a meaningful way to celebrate Thanksgiving. You could serve meals at a soup kitchen, help clean a neighborhood or park, or serve at a local charity. Volunteering as a family creates opportunities to build kindness and empathy together. Volunteering gives your family a chance to contribute to a good cause together and to spread the spirit of giving outside your home.
Create a Thanksgiving Memory Jar
Remember the moment and keep the memories alive with a Thanksgiving Memory Jar. Throughout the day, ask family members to write down the funny, heartwarming, or memorable moments they make and put them in the jar. At future Thanksgiving dinners, read the notes out loud and relive the happy memories from the past. It becomes a jar of joy that becomes more treasured each year with more laughter from the past that you will cherish forever.
Share What You’re Grateful For at the Dinner Table
One of the simplest and most effective traditions is expressing gratitude at the dinner table. As family and friends sit together for dinner, go around and ask each person to express something they are grateful for. This creates a positive environment for a family meal and invites opportunities for richer conversations and connections over the course of the evening. Taking a few extra steps to create a welcoming Thanksgiving atmosphere—through thoughtful table settings, warm greetings, and genuine hospitality—can make everyone feel appreciated and truly at home during the celebration.
Host a Friendsgiving
Friends are family we choose, and a Friendsgiving enables you to celebrate with family. You can have a casual Friendsgiving a week or two before or after the "real" Thanksgiving, providing a perfect opportunity to connect with friends. Everyone can bring a dish, share laughter, and start new traditions together. What fun it is to share thanks and joy beyond family!
Create Thanksgiving Crafts with Kids
Thanksgiving crafts are a great way to involve children and keep them in the holiday spirit. Just pull out some supplies and let their imaginations run with ideas like handprints of turkeys, decorations, or leaf paintings. With crafts like these, children have an opportunity to be creative while developing a cute keepsake for parents and grandparents. On top of that, it is an entertaining and interactive way to keep little ones entertained while allowing families to spend time together.
Share a Special Thanksgiving Meal Together
The most important element of Thanksgiving, of course, is the meal itself. Make it special by including everyone in the preparation of the meal. Whether that is just sharing a secret family recipe, introducing a new dish to the collection, or simply creating a beautiful table setting, the effort makes a personal contribution to the holiday. Sharing a meal—laughing, describing stories, and enjoying the feast—has become a cherished tradition that feeds both the body and soul.
Give Back by Creating Care Packages for the Homeless
Share the warmth of Thanksgiving beyond your home by creating care packages for the homeless. Pack little bags with hygiene items, snacks, socks, and positive notes. Deliver these care packages to shelters or to individuals in need as a family. This generosity spreads holiday cheer and shows your children acts of kindness, compassion, and giving!
By participating in these simple Thanksgiving traditions, you can enhance your experience, make a meaningful celebration filled with joy, love, and family memories. So, if you’re interested in trying these new traditions, enjoy the experience and watch your Thanksgiving grow into an annual day of gratitude and togetherness!
Thanksgiving Day Traditional Foods to Try
Let’s admit it; what’s Thanksgiving without a bountiful feast? Sure, turkey may be the leading man everyone expects, but there is a cornucopia of delightful traditional foods out there to discover and enjoy. Let’s explore a few delicious items to put a twist on your Thanksgiving table.
Starting with turkey. Roasting turkey is the old-school way, but we can also try other options. How about a deliciously moist deep-fried turkey or a smoky BBQ turkey for those who want to add an extra kick to the classic? Whatever method you choose, you can be assured it will steal the show.
Next up are the sides, which are the true unsung heroes of any Thanksgiving meal.
- Stuffing/Dressing: You're either a stuffing lover or a dressing lover. If you're a stuffing lover, it can go inside the bird or baked separately. There are so many different varieties, and I encourage you to try something new! Think sausage and apple stuffing! Or try the stuffing/dressing that adds in cranberries and nuts (delish)!
- Mashed Potatoes: Seriously ultimate comfort food! Creamy and buttery mashed potatoes is when it shines! Dress it up with roasted garlic or make it cheesy with shredded cheddar cheese mixed in!
Make sure you include some color on that plate! Vegetables belong in the cast of characters for Thanksgiving dinner, too.
- Green Bean Casserole: It’s a classic: creamy, crunchy, and downright tasty.
- Cranberry Sauce: It doesn’t matter if you use fresh cranberries or from a can and served with the jiggly shape, the tart flavor is complimentary to the dominant flavors on your plate.
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Roast them with some olive oil or perhaps parmesan cheese and you’ve provided a delicious and nutritious vegetable dish.
And finally, the dessert! Because what is Thanksgiving, really, without something sweet to finish off your meal.
- Pumpkin Pie: Rich, spiced, and ridiculously delicious—it's the staple of Thanksgiving.
- Apple Pie:Warm and sugary, its warm spice flavor complements the cold dollop of vanilla ice cream.
- Pecan Pie: Decadently gooey and nutty; they will take two bites and begin eyeing the slice next to them.
With such an expansive array of traditional foods to choose from, you won’t have a problem executing an unforgettable feast your family will be counting down the days for until the next Thanksgiving meal!
How to Incorporate Thanksgiving Day Traditions in Your Busy Family Schedule?
As a busy world whips by in a flurry of responsibilities, carpooling, work, and school, starting or maintaining the Thanksgiving tradition may feel like an impossible task. Don't worry! Beginning or maintaining Thanksgiving traditions doesn't need to be complicated. Here are some ideas to help you add special customs to your Thanksgiving experience without feeling overwhelmed.
Plan Ahead
Planning is the secret to successfully incorporating traditions into your hectic schedule. Sit down and decide what traditions mean the most to your family or which new traditions you want to try. It may constitute an easy as a pie-baking night the weekend before Thanksgiving or a family game night the day after. These small yet meaningful activities take the pressure off while enabling you to enjoy the holiday.
Make a Schedule
After you've considered which activities or traditions to embrace, the next step is to focus on scheduling. Mark down (or create an event on your phone calendar) the timeframe during Thanksgiving where the family will be participating in your Thanksgiving activities. Everyone in the family can then take the opportunity to plan on participating, and it gives everyone something to look forward to!
Prioritize and Delegate
Don't forget that not all the traditions must be crammed into one day. Pick the traditions you want to keep and celebrate...it can be difficult to bake a cake or cookies for a 4th of July celebration. For example, maybe this year, the most important tradition is food, so you can have the kids help you bake your pies or teach them Grandma's stuffing recipe. Don't forget the importance of delegating...let each family member choose a dish or task they want to take on. This helps lighten the load for the chef, encourages collaborative work, and allows family members to contribute their own personal touch to the holiday celebration.
Embrace Simplicity
Simplicity is sometimes the best approach for a successful outcome! Traditions do not have to be complicated to be meaningful. You could easily begin a tradition of a gratitude circle, where each family member says something they are thankful for and continue to do this from year to year. Or, you could spend a few minutes writing Thank You cards to loved ones or neighbors! Quick, meaningful, and it brings people back to what Thanksgiving is about.
Create Time Capsules
Create a Thanksgiving time capsule for a fun and reflective tradition. Find a shoebox or container and have each family member put something that was special or meaningful from the year in it - photos, drawings or small notes. Seal it up and just enjoy the moment, we will open it at a future Thanksgiving. It's a sweet way to see how everyone has changed over time.
Foster Flexibility
Lastly, and most importantly, be flexible! Life is unpredictable, and things won’t always go according to plan – and that’s okay! Be willing to change traditions if necessary. The heart of these traditions is all about connection, gratefulness, and happiness.
With a little thought and creativity, Thanksgiving traditions can be woven into your family's life and make your life busier, not more complicated. These intentional actions will create lasting family memories, and one day, you will have family share the holidays as well, and it will have started with us.
Conclusion to Simple Thanksgiving Traditions Your Family Can Start This Year
Creating new Thanksgiving traditions can be simple and not time-consuming. Many of the most memorable actions are simple. From creating a gratitude jar, to hosting a game-filled afternoon, this new tradition can help your holiday celebrations feel more special. The important part is to focus on being together, laughing, and loving each other. So, gather your family, implement one or two of these ideas, and see how they blossom into enjoyed family traditions that everyone looks forward to every year. Happy Thanksgiving!
