Thanksgiving Traditions

If you're likely to have a lot of the same people gathered together each year, a tradition I like is to buy a new tablecloth and then everyone writes (in a cloth marker or sharpie) what they're thankful for that year...and then the next year you pick a different color marker so that you can keep track of what each person wrote year by year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
S.
www.uggamugga.com

You have gotten some good advice so far but I thought I would add a way you can get your kids involved. You could make those little hand turkeys with the kids, and make enough for everyone that will be at your Thanksgiving Dinner. Write everyones name on one side and place them where everyone will be sitting. Place some pens or pencils at the table and have everyone write what they are thankful for on the other side of the turkey. Have everyone share. You can save these turkeys and then you have a record of who was at your party and record of how big the childrens hands were at that time.

there is a tradition at our house, when people are invited they all seem to show up 15 minutes after dinner is supposed to start...suppose that isn't really a tradition your looking for...we weren't really all that thankful for that part...

when we go around the table, we have each person say what they are thankful for and then they choose the next person to tell what they are thankful for and so on, until everyone has been picked.

we let the youngest kids in the family that can talk start the prayer and then we go around the table to say what we are thankful for. its so cute listening to the little ones responses. with the growing families every year there is another new one begining the prayer. enjoy your thanksgivng and family.

We go around the table and each say what we are thankful for starting with each letter of the alphabet. The first person says something that starts with A, the next person says something that starts with B, etc... It prevents everyone from saying the same thing and you get a variety of answers... some funny, some serious, etc.

a twist to the "what you are thankful for"- we put 5 kernels of corn on each persons plate before we eat. These symbolize the ration of 5 kernels that each pilgrim got for the whole day as their only food for many weeks. then we have to say one thing for each kernel, like they did in the first "celebrations". it's just a small way to incorporate some history of what we're really celebrating =)

The simplest one that I remember from growing up that we still do today is before anyone eats we got around the table adn tell what we're most thankful for. As we got older it became a game to see who had the most unique things to say (not the same ol family, health, etc) plus its fun to see what the little ones come up with. Happy Turkey Day :-)

Hi S.!

We developed a little Thanksgiving tradition that really can really open you to the spirit of Thanksgiving and the holiday season. What we do it to make a daily "Gratitude List" beginning at the holiday table on Thanksgiving Day and lasting for a full month until Christmas. At the holiday table, each of us makes a list of five things that we are grateful for and we each have a little "gratitude journal" which is a small notebook that we decorate for the occasion. We list anything that we are grateful for and then share that at the table. But, this first day in only the beginning! The real magic happens as you continue it! Then, each person is instructed to continue to write at least five things that you are grateful for each and every day until Christmas (or whatever day you want to go to). The only rule is that you cannot list the same thing more than once! So, you can't list your husband/kids/etc. every day - you need to find five NEW things to list each day! This is the magic as it really gets you to look for the blessings in our lives and be grateful for the little things that come to us each and every day! It really helps to set the tone of the holiday season.
Hope you enjoy all the suggestions you get!
D. V