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Thanksgiving Traditions and Memories
by
Rachel Paxton
Family and tradition. Isn't that what the holidays are really all
about? The holidays are the one time of the year that families come together
and create memories that will stay with them throughout a lifetime.
Children who don't get to spend time with
their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are really missing out on an opportunity to form a bond that only close
family ties can create.
I love to learn about how other families spend their time during the holidays.
Some of people's fondest memories are from visiting with friends and relatives
during the Thanksgiving holidays. I have put together some of my favorite
Thanksgiving traditions that people have submitted to the Creative Homemaking
web site.
Jeanette...My favorite memories are of my mother's family
gathering at Grandma's house. The holiday did not begin until everyone got there. We often
played cards or other games. The most fun is when we would go for a long walk
in the country. This would include whomever wanted to go, and would always be
an adventure.
Bethany...We rotate homes every year for Thanksgiving. Whoever's
house Thanksgiving is at makes the turkey. Everyone else generally brings a
vegetable, dessert or salad. Grandma always makes the dressing.
Mrs. Lee...Every holiday we always would write one thing we were
thankful for on our place cards.
Shelly...One of my favorite holiday memories is the gathering of
my mother's family at her aunt's farm at Thanksgiving. I remember gatherings including five
generations with relatives we only saw every couple of years, but with whom we
shared a common ancestry and a common faith. These bonds allowed us to
become reacquainted with one another over the course of the day and gave an
almost hallowed meaning to the phrase "family ties". Even as a child, I
knew my actions reflected on my family, and I would never do anything to bring dishonor
to my family. Those family bonds are absent for so many people these days.
Ginger...Each year my husbands family (most of them live near)
get together for the Thanksgiving meal. Each family brings a part of the meal (decided by the
hostess) and we give thanks to God and enjoy each others company. It's a great time to catch up.
Kathy...Making the center piece with my children when they were
little we used to go gather liquid Amber leaves and press them between two pieces of wax
paper with some scrapped crayon and name tags also in with the leaves. The
kids always looked so forward to this and we kept this up for many years now
we make different kinds the kids are older so now we bake together instead
which is a lot of fun. Having Thanksgiving at our home is tradition we love.
Related Articles:
Thanksgiving
History
The Pilgrims may be the quintessential symbol of Thanksgiving, but the
truth is, the Pilgrims never held a "Thanksgiving" feast.
How
to Grow Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactuses
Rooted and growing cuttings of these make wonderful gifts
to friends and family. Put them in a pretty pot and attach a bow and
card then they're ready to give!
A
Frugal But Elegant Thanksgiving
Over years I have had groups of 10-12 over to our house for
Thanksgiving and served a nice dinner with all the extras but didn't
break my budget. It takes planning and watching the sales early
instead of buying everything the week before.
Grilling
a Turkey
Grilling a turkey makes good sense for busy cooks, especially if
you’re dealing with a small space kitchen. With the turkey cooking
merrily away on the grill, the oven is free for other chores such as
cooking large pans of dressing, side dishes or even home baked pies.
Holiday
Stuffing Recipes
The following recipes can be used to stuff any poultry you may be
serving for the holidays, or you can bake them for 30-45 minutes in a
casserole dish. I would be sure to add a little extra moisture to each
one if you do this since it won't have the juices from the poultry.
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