Free Ideas for New Thanksgiving Traditions

Learn the meager beginnings of several popular Thanksgiving traditions and get some free ideas for new traditions you can start with your family this year!

The Holidays are coming, along with many family traditions. Traditions are a great way to bring families closer together and create lasting memories that youngsters cherish through adulthood. With Thanksgiving around the corner it’s fun to look at some famous traditions that surround this holiday, and some of the not so famous.

Eating Turkey: Americans eating turkey on Thanksgiving probably found it’s root in what we affectionately call the “First Thanksgiving”. The original Plymouth Colonists from England found the land of the Wampanoag full of wild turkey. Both the Colonists and the natives ate turkey often. Coupled with it’s wide availability, it is highly probable it was the main dish of the celebration of plenty.

Watching football: For the most part, the tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving can be traced back to 1880’s where New England high schools had large rivalry games between schools. All that fun lead to the triumph of big appetites and a renewed gratefulness for the large meal.

Parades: Gimbel’s Department store in Philadelphia claim the fame in starting Thanksgiving day parades. These type of parades have been happening all over the states as early as the 1920’s. As their popularity grows, the design and spectacle of these events get bigger every year. There are many different events like this all over the country, but the widest known is the Macy’s Day Parade in New York City.

Giving Thanks Around the Table: Many families make it a tradition to go around the dinner table while eating and name something they are grateful for. Answers vary due to age and what stage of life a person may be in. Regardless of the living situation, the most popular answers usually include family, friends, a home, and food of course!

While these Thanksgiving traditions are widely popular and celebrated all over the country, it’s important for families to make every holiday their own. Here are 2 fun ideas that you can use to start your own traditions.

Christmas Cards: Most people send their Christmas cards the day after Thanksgiving. When we start receiving those Hallmarks in the mail it’s a surefire sign the Santa is soon to follow. Instead of simply buying a box of Holiday cards from the store, why not use this as a great craft activity with the family? Spend a day out in nature picking up some of those beautiful leaves. Use these leaves between 2 piece of trace paper and color over with an unwrapped crayon for some leaf impressions. Write a note and sign for a wonderful homemade Christmas Card!

The Gratitude List: Every year ask your family to sit down and write something the are grateful for. Rewrite these things on a piece of pretty fall stationary next to the family member’s name and put in a dollar store frame to hang in your house for all to see. As children grow, their answers will get more mature. Adults will see a change in priorities. Don’t forget to write the year on the back of that stationary so you can look back later on and remember that Holiday.

If you’re single, married, have kids, or an empty-nester, it’s never too late to create a Thanksgiving tradition or two. Just remember to enjoy the change of season and give thanks for all your blessings!