I have to be totally honest. Thanksgiving is not really one of my favorite holidays. I mean, I enjoy the attitude of gratitude, but I really don’t enjoy the whole sit around and eat. First of all, I don’t love sitting that much. And I don’t enjoy that Thanksgiving in the United States has become really no more than a prelude to the crazy commercial holiday season of December, and that makes me sad.
So, this year, I would love to see people making Thanksgiving about connections and gratitude (not just food). I would love to see more people boycott Black Friday in favor of getting outside with their family. I would love to see some meaningful traditions that involve more than copious amounts of food.
How about any of the following:
- Volunteer to help others.
- Invite someone who would otherwise be alone to be a part of your Thanksgiving feast.
- Pick out a charity to support until next Thanksgiving. Share your favorites in the comment box!
- Go to your place of worship
- Make a gratitude jar, or have a gratitude tree where things one is grateful for are written down and read at dinner
- Take a walk and get outside. My ultimate dream is actually to camp on Thanksgiving. Maybe one year!
If you have small children, really do think ahead. Sometimes Thanksgiving can feel rather “adult” with the adults just sitting around and talking. Not much fun for children! Bring crafts for the children to do, get a copy of the book “Cranberry Thanksgiving” and make cranberry bread (you can see the recipe here), help the children be involved in cooking and setting the table, learn some Thanksgiving music (you can see suggestions in this back post, “A Waldorf View of Thanksgiving.”) that you all can sing and play after dinner.
Please share with me your favorite family traditions!
Blessings and love,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
Hi Carrie. I happen to love Thanksgiving because it’s not as commercialized as Christmas. I’m not so into the amount of food but I do like to cook. My favorite family tradition is the three of us (and the dog) go for a.morning hike and collect dried flowers and grasses to decorate the Thanksgiving table.
Happy Thanksgiving. Mary Lynn
The best Thanksgiving I ever had was helping out (in a minor way) at a large church dinner for the “homeless”. There was such a spirit of fun and joy! Some pot lucks have been very nice, too. The image of a single family dinner is one we have been hypnotized into by advertising since the 50s. Best to find a way to give to others and then go find the tree stands opening and get some fir and pine boughs to make your Advent wreath and to start setting up the bare table area that will become the Advent Garden.
Advent Garden…I love that!