Thanksgiving Traditions: Share Your Celebrations or Alternatives!

[Uncrowned Guard]

As the leaves change color and the air grows crisp, many of us look forward to Thanksgiving — a time for gratitude, feasting, and family. But traditions can vary widely. Do you gather around a turkey, try out new recipes, volunteer, or even forego the holiday altogether? Whether you're all about the parade, the football game, or a unique ritual that's all your own, we'd love to hear about it. And if Thanksgiving isn't part of your annual celebrations, what do you do instead? Share your stories, customs, or alternative ways of observing (or not observing) Thanksgiving in this thread!

[ZandraJoi]

We used to go visit my husband's family but his parents have since passed away. Then Christmas we would go to my parents. Now we do both holidays with my parents. We make a simple meal of roast with potatoes & gravy. None of us do pie anymore lol For us, the holidays are us 4 getting together just like any other visit we have with each other. 🙂

[Uncrowned Guard]

3 hours ago, ZandraJoi said:

We used to go visit my husband's family but his parents have since passed away. Then Christmas we would go to my parents. Now we do both holidays with my parents. We make a simple meal of roast with potatoes & gravy. None of us do pie anymore lol For us, the holidays are us 4 getting together just like any other visit we have with each other. 🙂

We have also downsized our meals and generally don't even have turkey for Thanksgiving anymore. We used to have large family meals and such but now there is only one remaining grand parent between me and the wife's family, so we generally head there and have more of a get together than a Thanksgiving meal. Overall it's just too challenging to haul a fully cooked turkey around then it is to take a couple trays of food and desserts.

[ZandraJoi]

On 11/4/2023 at 2:06 PM, Uncrowned Guard said:

We have also downsized our meals and generally don't even have turkey for Thanksgiving anymore. We used to have large family meals and such but now there is only one remaining grand parent between me and the wife's family, so we generally head there and have more of a get together than a Thanksgiving meal. Overall it's just too challenging to haul a fully cooked turkey around then it is to take a couple trays of food and desserts.

When I was young, we had big dinners with both turkey & ham. Although most preferred the ham lol But like you, as time goes on & kids grow up & move on, it's less & less.