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10 Thanksgiving Traditions to Start With Your Family This Year

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By Donella Crigger 36 Comments

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‘Tis the season for turkey and traditions. What makes holidays like Thanksgiving so memorable? Long after the food is gone, the memories that families cling to are the special traditions you share together. If you’re looking for some new Thanksgiving traditions to begin with your family, try one (or more) of these this year.

10 Thanksgiving Traditions to Start with Your Family This Year

Thanksgiving is a holiday that’s rooted in tradition. Nearly everyone has memories of their own family’s celebrations of this day. But, if you’re doing the same old same old, year after year, it can be hard to remember why exactly you’re doing those things in the first place. A great way to remind yourself and your family about what Thanksgiving means to you is by starting a new tradition. This list of 10 Thanksgiving Traditions to Start with Your Family is sure to help you find something new and meaningful that your family can do each year.

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1. Set up an ornament creation station to keep the kids busy while dinner is being prepared. Since many families put their trees up the weekend after Thanksgiving, now’s a great time to get started on homemade ornaments. If you’re not in the Christmas spirit just yet, make these Turkey Paper Bag Puppets instead.

2. Create a signature Thanksgiving drink. Make sure it’s non-alcoholic so the kids can feel included, too. I’ve seen some fantastic and yummy drinks this week, including this Slow Cooker Cranberry Apple Cider, this Cranberry Fizz or this Pumpkin Spice Frappe. We have a yummy Pumpkin Spice Latte for all you coffee lovers, too!

3. Provide games and contests for the kids if you’re hosting or attending a large Thanksgiving dinner. Pin the Tail Feathers on the Turkey or a good old-fashioned turkey-call contest are fun themed activities that will have everyone roaring with laughter.

4. Display a Thankful Tree in your kitchen or dining room. Provide each guest with a leaf and a pen to write down what he or she is thankful for. Read the leaves aloud as they are taped or pinned to the tree.

5. Gift the dinner host or hostess with a new set of Tupperware. This is more about good manners than tradition, but you can make it a little of both! When a host sends leftovers home with guests, he or she rarely gets all the containers back. A new set of food storage containers would be a welcome gift for anyone on Thanksgiving!

6. Share a favorite scripture or poem about Thankfulness when everyone is gathered around the dinner table. It may seem a little cheesy, but considering all the commercialism surrounding the holidays, it’s a good reminder that it’s supposed to be more about giving thanks and less about being stuffed with turkey.

7. Count your blessings. Write down all of the blessings your family has had over the last year. Keep them in a journal so you can reflect on them each year.

8. Create a keepsake tablecloth. Buy a (durable) tablecloth, and have everyone present sign their names on it. If you have children that are too young to write their names, have them leave a handprint or footprint on the cloth. Use the same tablecloth each year. You’ll love to see how much your family has grown, and it’ll be really special to see the handwriting of those who have passed after years have gone by.

9. Make a cornucopia with your family and fill it with objects that are meaningful to everyone. After you’re done, use it as the centerpiece for your table so that everyone can be reminded of their blessings throughout the whole dinner.

10. Give a Thanksgiving meal to people who can’t afford one. Whether you can afford to pull out all the stops, or you can only give a small amount, it will likely make someone’s day, and it’ll get your family in the giving spirit.

 

Everyone loves a good meal, but it takes extra thought and care to make your Thanksgiving special. Hopefully, this list has given you plenty of ideas to bring back to your family’s table, so your holiday can be even more meaningful.

10 Thanksgiving Traditions Your Family Will Love Year After Year

If you enjoyed this post on Thanksgiving traditions, check out more ideas for turkey day:

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  • Pumpkin Chocolate Hand Pies
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  • Simple Cranberry Sauce
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Donella Crigger

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Filed Under: Holidays & Seasons, Life, Parenting, Thanksgiving, wifemomgeek Tagged With: holidays, Thanksgiving, traditions

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Comments

  1. Kristi Corrigan says

    November 26, 2014 at 3:21 am

    I love these ideas! Really like the idea of providing games for the kids…it will help keep them from getting bored and into trouble.

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 5:43 am

      Exactly. I remember often being bored on Thanksgiving because it seemed like such an “adult” holiday. No presents! LOL But having some crafts, games, etc. for the kids will make it more pleasant for everyone.

      Reply
  2. Sophie O'Reilly says

    November 26, 2014 at 4:00 am

    We don’t have thanksgiving in England but this might be good for Christmas!

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 5:42 am

      Good point!

      Reply
  3. Samantha Angell says

    November 26, 2014 at 7:25 am

    These are all great ideas. I like the idea of a signature drink! could also be fun to do a new one each year and vote on favorites as the years go by.

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      Good idea, Samantha!

      Reply
  4. RunToTheFinish says

    November 26, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Truly thank you for this post! i’m looking for ideas to create our own traditions and I think the tree is just perfect

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      Hope your family enjoys the Thankful Tree this year. 🙂

      Reply
  5. city mom loves says

    November 26, 2014 at 10:23 am

    I love these tips. We are going to our parents’ for Thanksgiving even though we are in our 30s but I can’t wait until we start our own tradition with our family.

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      We’re in our 30s and still go to our families’ homes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Amanda says

    November 26, 2014 at 11:14 am

    What a great post, I am always looking for more ways to improve our holidays especially with 3 kids 🙂

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      We just have the one, but we like giving meaning to the holidays through tradition.

      Reply
  7. Angelic @ SimplySinova.com says

    November 26, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    I love the idea of a Thankful tree! I first heard about it earlier this year and I can’t wait to do it this year <3

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      It’s SUCH a cute idea!

      Reply
  8. Mia Myrabev says

    November 26, 2014 at 2:52 pm

    Love this post especially the thankful poem or script part

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:35 pm

      Thanks, Mia.

      Reply
  9. Amanda @MoveLoveEat says

    November 26, 2014 at 6:19 pm

    We don’t celebrate thanksgiving in NZ but I really think we should, it’s such a great idea to actually stop and think about what you are grateful for as not many people do that and there is so much to be grateful for!

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 26, 2014 at 7:26 pm

      Maybe that’s a tradition you can start with your own family (any time of year, really!).

      Reply
  10. Courtney says

    November 26, 2014 at 8:14 pm

    Beyond awesome post!!! Next year I’m wanting to do a thankful tree with my princess…. Shes a tad too young this year lol

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      She’ll love it!

      Reply
  11. esther julee says

    November 26, 2014 at 10:19 pm

    I love the gratitude tree idea!! 🙂 if we had a big family gathering we would love to do something like that. meanwhile i keep my own personal gratitude jar which has been working great for me.. but it’s def not ornamental.

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:37 pm

      Hey, whatever works. I love the idea of the gratitude jar, though. Easy to pull something out whenever you’re having a bad day to remind yourself of all you’ve been blessed with. Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  12. TouristMeetsTraveler says

    November 27, 2014 at 11:54 am

    The best part of Thanksgiving is always the dinner! Every year it’s just a massive turkey dinner; I love it so much!

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      My sister-in-law always does the turkey for my husband’s family dinner, and it’s delicious. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  13. Ann Bacciaglia says

    November 27, 2014 at 4:26 pm

    I love the idea of a gratitude tree. It is so important to be thankful and grateful for things in our lives.

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:36 pm

      Absolutely. Thanks for stopping by, Ann.

      Reply
  14. Julie says

    November 27, 2014 at 8:29 pm

    These are GREAT ideas! I wish I would have seen this before 7:30pm – haha! 🙂

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:35 pm

      Haha. Maybe it’ll be useful for you next year. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  15. Liz Mays says

    November 27, 2014 at 11:36 pm

    My kids and I always worked on little projects like that to keep them busy until dinner. An ornament station is a fun idea!

    Reply
    • Donella Crigger says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:42 pm

      That’s wonderful that you make the holiday fun for your kiddos. I remember being “bored” as a kid because it seemed like a holiday for adults. We want to keep it fun for our little guy. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  16. Kath Rivera says

    November 28, 2014 at 1:26 am

    You have wonderful list of tips. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. I bet you had a blast!

    Reply
  17. Erin Kennedy says

    November 28, 2014 at 1:41 am

    Love these ideas. I have never thought of some of them. The thankful tree is such a cute idea!

    Reply
  18. Michelle Hwee says

    November 28, 2014 at 11:49 pm

    What great traditions 🙂 Sounds like fun.

    Reply
  19. Lavende L. says

    November 30, 2014 at 12:54 am

    I love thanksgiving games! We always play a thanksiving game of whiffle ball and have a blast at it!

    Reply
  20. Lisa @ Fun Money Mom says

    November 26, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    I saw this too late for this year but these are all really great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Share The Wealth Sunday!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Donella…

I'm a mom to a sweet little boy, wife to the love of my life and a complete nerd at heart. I love gadgets, writing, cooking, photography and Diet Pepsi (a little too much).

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