Thanksgiving is one of everyone’s favorite holidays – and not only for the food, though that is a big part of it. But after so many years of the same meal, with the same decorations, dinner plates, and desserts, it gets a little tired. So this year, why not try ramping up the fun and recreating your family traditions in a new, whimsical way?
1. Change Your Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
You can start with the menu. Thanksgiving is traditionally turkey, cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes, bread, and pumpkin pie. Boooooring! Why would anyone want to keep stuffing their faces with the same meal, no matter how glorious it is?
These are all things we can eat throughout the year, so why not make it more glamorous, more memorable? You can mix it up by instead creating a cranberry orange concoction by adding orange juice and zest to your traditional sauce? Why not make it a cranberry relish for the turkey? Follow this tip on how to make Thanksgiving special, and your guests will certainly appreciate it.
You can even go further off the normal, Thanksgiving traditions and create a cinnamon apple cranberry sauce. Why not go crazy? There are a ton of recipes all over the internet, and especially on one of our favorite sites, Pinterest. Your refreshed menu is just a few keystrokes and searches away.
More: 8 No-Effort Ways Moms Stay Slim on Thanksgiving
2. Bring Something New to the Traditional Decorations
Next, the decorations. The whole point of Thanksgiving traditions is to be thankful, so what better way to express that than through interactive décor? Grab yourself a pumpkin, paint it your favorite color – fall colors or not – and have each family member write what they are thankful for on the pumpkin.
But do not stop there, why not make this holiday about family bonding? I am sure you are thankful for your crazy family. Grab a white table cloth, some paint, and have some fun with everyone, including adults, by creating hand turkeys you can all enjoy and laugh about for years to come. Your décor does not have to be stuck up and fancy to impress your distant relatives, instead make it interactive and joyful. You should definitely love this one of the most unique Thanksgiving traditions.
3. Figure Out How to Tweak Thanksgiving Activities
On top of the interactive decor, why not have activities to do as a family? Appreciate each other and enjoy their company, no matter how annoying or dramatic they can be sometimes (we all have that one cousin). Create Thanksgiving-themed photo booth props and take silly pictures to hang on your walls, have a pumpkin pie eating contest – you can even play Thanksgiving mad-libs. This idea can certainly make your Thanksgiving Day special.
4. Experiment with Desserts
And finally, the best part of Thanksgiving, the dessert. Instead of pies, why not mix it up a bit? Try pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin praline bread pudding, pumpkin crumb cookies, or go in a completely different direction and do no pumpkin.
Traditions are great, but they can always be changed, reinvented, and created new. Thanksgiving is about coming together, enjoying your family, eating a great meal, and reflecting on everything you forget to cherish in our fast-paced world.
5. Express your gratitude to each other
In all the fun and madness, it’s easy to forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving – gratitude. The best way to renew this wonderful Thanksgiving tradition is to do it creatively.
One of the best ideas to express your gratitude is Gratitude Jar. Before Thanksgiving dinner, ask your family and friends to write what they are grateful for on small multi-colored pieces of paper and then put them in a jar. After or during dinner, you can take out these leaves and read them all together. Follow this piece of advice on how to make Thanksgiving special, and be sure, your holiday will be unforgettable.
Another way to tweak Thanksgiving tradition is to ask everyone to make a Thanksgiving toast. The guests at the table are welcome to stand up and make their toast while reflecting on the previous year. This unique Thanksgiving idea will help your family focus on gratitude and what they are grateful for this Thanksgiving season. Moreover, you can save these things and rewind them later.
More: 8 Wonderful Things to Be Grateful for This Thanksgiving
6. Do everything with kids on Thanksgiving
It is very important to pay attention to children on this day, but it is challenging to do this, taking into consideration many things to do for Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of asking them not to interfere, you can get them to do easy work. For example, ask the children to help set the table. Let them also contribute to the preparation for the holiday. They will be very happy to help and spend time with you. Older kids can also decorate the house or help you in the kitchen, cooking salads or decorating desserts. In addition, this one of the best Thanksgiving traditions can help you to save your valuable time.
Another thing you can turn into a Thanksgiving tradition is crafting with children. There is a great variety of Thanksgiving crafts ideas on the Internet. But don’t hold back your imagination in creating; your kids can do something new and original. For example, you can make a beautiful garland of autumn leaves. Then, ask kids to write something they are grateful for. This activity not only gives a pleasant pastime but also installs gratitude in children.
7. Volunteering
One of the essential Thanksgiving traditions that should not be canceled is charity. But you can still originally approach this activity. Thanksgiving is for all sorts of good deeds. People try to feed and somehow please their neighbors who are unlucky in life. On the eve of the holiday, charitable organizations distribute collected gifts to those in need and organize dinners for the homeless. You can lure your whole family and friends to do it. But, most importantly, do it with joy and pleasure.
It is time to slow down, so make it yours. Make it new. And just have fun this holiday season.
Below, we have compiled a list of the most interesting questions about unique ways to tweak Thanksgiving traditions:
