Thanksgiving: Creating New Traditions for Your Family

Thanksgiving is a great holiday! The pressure of Christmas has not yet arrived, and most of us get holiday time off. We eat a lot of food, take naps, watch sports, and hang out with family. Of course, Thanksgiving has meaning in the historical sense; however, there are many ways to add more personal, family meaning to the holiday, by creating new traditions. Having traditions, in general, will bring your family closer and add to the enjoyment of Thanksgiving. Create one specifically for your family or try one of the following great ideas!

My daughters' classroom made Thanksgiving Trees one year, and it's great to adapt to your family. Collect semi large fall leaves, enough for 3 per person. Seal them with clear contact paper and cut around the edges. Grab a bunch of Sharpie pens and pass them out to everyone. Give each person a leaf and have them write one thing they are grateful for this year, and add the date. Choose a large piece of poster board and draw a tree without leaves. Add the leaves your family made to the tree. Each person can share what they are most grateful for with everyone. Each year, take down the previous years' leaves and add your new ones. It's interesting, as well, to look back to what each person wrote last year in comparison to this year!

Another way for families to share is by playing the corn game. Each person at the table gets two pieces of corn kernels next to their dinner plate. After dinner, place a bowl in the middle of the table. Start by having someone place one kernel in the bowl and share something they are thankful for and why. Go around the table until everyone at the table has used their corn. When the bowl is full, use this time to share some Thanksgiving history. Share the story with your family of the Native Americans teaching us about corn, now an American staple.