How to Start New Family Thanksgiving Traditions

Entry #3011, November 13, 2013

Thanksgiving family traditions are a great thing. They grow with us, and we learn to love and expect them with anticipation every single year. Every now and then something memorable, unique might happen on a holiday, which will stay in our minds for years. But most memories are about something that happened time after time again. Those memories stick with us, and without the repetition of it, Thanksgiving is just not Thanksgiving.

How to Start New Family Thanksgiving Traditions 

It is never too late to start such a family tradition. There are a lot of things that one can think of to establish, and many are already very popular, like playing a specific family board game, taking a walk altogether to a special place, giving something back to the community by doing volunteer work, even planting every year a tree or flower. There are, however, some ideas for establishing a tradition, that stand out as a little more “modern”.

Traditional roasted turkey

Image via: Pinterest

The Thanksgiving Tree

The Thanksgiving Tree, also known as the thankful tree, is a fabulous idea, which helps remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.  And it has even two great uses. One is, to use it as a crafting opportunity to make with the family, creating and putting it together and making the thankful cards. Those cards will be used for the family and the guests to write on and to hang them on the tree – either on every November day or on Thanksgiving Day. The other use is, to use it as a decorative item or even as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece. And, of course, you can do both!

Thanksgiving tree centerpiece

Image via: Pinterest

A Unique Thanksgiving Day Dish

Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes. All are very traditional dishes, found on almost every Thanksgiving table, and for a good reason. But, why not creating also a unique, uncommon dish, only prepared on this festive day, which will be an integral part of the menu every year, and that everyone will be looking forward to? Alternatively, you can prepare a dish in a very unique way, using a distinctive mold or arrangement. Or, you could surprise your guests every year with a new version of a turkey cake!

Try a unique Thanksgiving dish this year

Image via: Pinterest

Thanksgiving Family History Book

A Thanksgiving book can be crafted with the help of the whole family, designing and decorating the front page and even every other page that will be used on that specific year. On Thanksgiving, you can write down all the things that happened or were said that you want to hold on to. Or ask the guests to do this and to write down what they are thankful of this year. Later, you can add photos, a disc containing recordings of the day, or other worthy items, like crafts done by the kids, thankful cards or recipes of the dishes that were a hit!

Thanksgiving family book

Image via: Pinterest

Regardless of what tradition you choose to have each year – if any – the most important thing is that everybody enjoys this special day, having fun and being in a good, loving company, for which everyone would be thankful for.

For more Thanksgiving ideas on Stagetecture, click here.