Thanksgiving will soon be here, and it will be a time to gather with friends and family. With the holidays come Thanksgiving traditions, such as Aunt Sara always bringing her famous macaroni and cheese, Grandpa always giving the blessing before the meal, and breaking the wishbone to make a wish. It’s also a time for creating new traditions. Here are some ideas for new ones to share with your family this holiday season.
The Heart of Thanksgiving: A Celebration of Gratitude and Faith
Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday for those in the U.S. and other parts of the world. It is a time of friends, family, and reflection on the blessings we have in our lives. This holiday has its traditional roots, and it also celebrates the values that bind us together in our communities.
Historical Roots: The Origins of Thanksgiving and Its Spiritual Significance
The roots of Thanksgiving date back to the 17th century in America when the Pilgrims settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After a year of settlement filled with hardship and loss, in 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest. They invited the Wampanoag people to join them for a Thanksgiving feast. This gathering marked a symbol of unity and community, with both groups acknowledging their faith and the blessings of the season.
Thanksgiving has evolved from a harvest celebration to a national holiday, with Abraham Lincoln proclaiming it a national holiday in 1863.
Family Gatherings: Strengthening Bonds Through Shared Traditions
Family gatherings are more than just gatherings to connect; they are the threads that connect the fabric of our lives. They entwine us in stories shared, laughter, and memories that resonate through generations. They also play a crucial role in cementing family bonds in the following ways;
- Fostering Connection: Our families are a significant part of our support system, and family gatherings remind us of our shared history and heritage, which reinforces our identity.
- Creating lasting memories: The memories we make with our families last a lifetime.
- Bridging Generational Gaps: Family gatherings provide an opportunity for younger generations to interact with older generations.
Incorporating Faith: Prayer and Blessings to Elevate the Celebration
There are many ways we can celebrate and incorporate our faith as we gather with our families. Incorporating prayer and blessings into our celebrations honors tradition, deepens connections with loved ones, fosters gratitude, and gives a sense of peace and reflection.
- Prayer before the meal: This is a tradition that families often observe before sitting down for a big feast.
- Personalized blessings: Encourage family and friends to share their greatest blessings this year.
- Thematic Prayers: Look up specific prayers to be recited during Thanksgiving.
- Pray for your guests: As each of your guests leaves, take a moment to pray for them before they depart.
Crafting New Traditions: Unique Ways to Celebrate with Loved Ones
Here are some great ways to create new traditions with your loved ones this Thanksgiving.
- Choose a theme: Consider a theme for Thanksgiving, such as Pilgrim’s Pride, where everyone dresses up like a pilgrim, or Festive Feast, where everyone brings a dish with some decorative flair (e.g., adding toffee bits on top of your sweet potato pie or arranging your vegetable tray to resemble a turkey). After dinner, watch some movies about Thanksgiving. Some ideas include:
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973/ Rated G)
- Garfield’s Thanksgiving (1989/ Rated G)
- An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving (2008/Rated G)
- Love at the Thanksgiving Day Parade (2013/Hallmark/Rated G)
- Gratitude Jar: Decorate a large jar or container to serve as your gratitude jar. Please have all your family members write one thing they are thankful for or a moment that was memorable to them each week. Then, the next Thanksgiving, sit down and read the notes together.
- Creative Crafting Sessions: Gather your family members to make decorations and cards for each major holiday throughout the year. (Ex: Homemade cards for Valentine’s Day and decorations like centerpieces and place cards for Thanksgiving).
The Power of Giving Back: Volunteering as a Family This Thanksgiving
Volunteering is a great way to bond as a family and help others this holiday season. Some benefits of volunteering as a family are;
- Strengthened family bonds: Sharing experiences as a family enhances communication and cooperation among family members.
- Teaching values and life skills: When you engage in community service with your children, you teach them teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving, critical thinking, and empathy.
- Creating lasting memories: Volunteering together and helping others creates lasting memories.
- Making a difference: By contributing to something bigger than yourself, you make a real difference in your community.
Ways you can get involved include;
- A homeless shelter
- Hosting a food drive or volunteering at a food pantry or soup kitchen
- Do community cleanup activities
- Visit nursing homes
Make it a point to make volunteering around Thanksgiving a family tradition and start planning where you want to serve when the new year begins.
Food for the Soul: Recipes That Bring Comfort and Togetherness
Food is something that brings us together and makes the holidays, the holidays. One great way to make this a tradition is to have the older generation teach the younger generation how to make their favorite recipes. Another way to start a tradition if all the older relatives are gone is to cook something for Thanksgiving with your kids or grandkids. Here are some easy recipes to make with your young ones.
- No-Boil Crockpot Mashed Potatoes from Spend with Pennies
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese from Spend with Pennies
- Turkey Cheeseball from In the Kids Kitchen
- 5-Ingredient Mini Pumpkin Pies from The Kitchn
- No-Bake Desserts
- Homemade Butter from Buggy and Buddy
Please note that children should not prepare these recipes without parental supervision in the kitchen.
Storytelling Time: Sharing Family Memories and Spiritual Journeys
Storytelling has been a tradition for thousands of years and is a great way to share family memories on Thanksgiving. Let your older family members share stories about what life was like when they were young, if they served in the military, or started their own businesses. Things were very different back then compared to today.
Storytelling is essential because of;
- Cultural preservation: Storytelling acts as a vessel of cultural preservation as family members pass down stories through the generations.
- Emotional connection: Sharing stories fosters emotional connection and serves as touchstones that spark laughter, tears, and a sense of nostalgia. Those listening can feel what the storyteller was feeling.
- Personal reflection and growth: For those telling the story, reflecting on personal experiences, especially those that are spiritual, can lead to profound self-discovery and growth. When people share their stories, they often remember moments of vulnerability, resilience, and enlightenment.
Creating a Thankfulness Journal: A Tradition for Reflection and Growth
Creating a gratitude journal is a great way to remind us to pause and reflect, finding clarity in our lives. A gratitude journal fosters an attitude of gratitude, causes us to pause and write what we are thankful for each day, and also promotes personal growth and emotional well-being.
Some benefits of having a thankfulness journal include;
- Enhances emotional well-being
- Promotes mindfulness and presence
- Cultivates resilience
- Strengthens relationships
Have each member of your family start a gratitude journal, and then every year on the night before Thanksgiving or the evening of, share the highlights of what you are most thankful for with each other.
Thanksgiving is a great time to start some new, meaningful traditions with your family. Pick a few from this list and decide what new tradition you’ll be starting this year.
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