Thanksgiving may look a little different this year, but that doesn’t mean we still cannot continue some of our favorite traditions or add new ones.
Our gatherings will definitely be smaller, but with a little creativity, we can still celebrate this wonderful Thanksgiving holiday together. So… go ahead and prepare a feast! Cooking favorite family recipes and setting a decorated fall table will keep your Thanksgiving meal a special and memorable occasion.
The grandkids love to help set the table and arrange table decorations. This keeps them very excited and involved in the celebration. The grandkids love to help make the cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies. You can prepare smaller portions of everything, or keep the larger versions and share. Pack a meal to deliver to a family member who is not celebrating with you. Take a meal or dessert to a neighbor or friend who is alone for the holiday.
A Meaningful Celebration
Another part of our family tradition includes making native American headbands and Pilgrim hats out of construction paper for the kids to wear. These are worn throughout the day and we explain the story of the first Thanksgiving. We also decorate our house with turkeys made by tracing your hand on a piece of paper. These can be colored and cut out to hang on walls or used as table place cards.
Older grandkids can draw turkeys and add colorful feathers. Ask them what they are thankful for, and write their responses on the feathers. Or make a thankful pumpkin. On the top by the stem, write in a circular motion with a permanent marker, “I am thankful for…” Then, continuing in a spiral motion down the pumpkin, write their thankful ideas to fill the entire surface. This makes a great table centerpiece.
For dinner, we always light candles (or use battery-operated candles with little ones) and encourage everyone to stay in their seats until everyone has finished their dinner. Remember to save the turkey wishbone. When completely dried (usually the next day), two kids can pull apart the bone to see whose wish comes true.
Connect with other family and friends with a Zoom meeting before, during or after your meal. If some relatives are unable to join in, be sure to find a way to reach out to those who are close to you and the grandkids.
After dinner, our traditions include playing games at the table. The grandkids’ favorite is Turkey Bingo. The cards have Thanksgiving-themed pictures, such as Pilgrims, corn stalks and pumpkins. Markers are acorns previously collected from the yard. Young non-reading children love to play, especially if small prizes are awarded for “Bingo!”
If the weather is walk-worthy, a jaunt around the block or a short trip to a nearby park for a hike is always fun and a healthy thing to do.
A great Thanksgiving tradition, the Macy’s Day Parade, is still on this year. The magic of the moment can still be enjoyed, though it’s a television-only event to eliminate large crowds during the usual parade route.
Whatever you decide to do to celebrate this year’s holiday, enjoy it with your own special traditions and have a very blessed Thanksgiving.
Karen Shadrach is an on-the-go, in-the-know grandmother to two sets of twins. She lives in suburban Cleveland.
Photo courtesy Karen Shadrach
