Our favorite November holiday is all about family, feasting, and traditions. We’re about to walk through a typical Thanksgiving Day starting from morning runs to evening desserts. Each tradition is worth celebrating with cameras in hand to capture every moment. Do you have some old photos or videos you want to relive from Thanksgiving past? You can always digitize your keepsakes with Legacybox!
Turkey Trots
Rumor has it the first Turkey Trot started way back in 1896 in Buffalo, New York. From Hobbler Gobblers to Turkey Triathlons, these popular races have swept through every part of the nation. Most of the runs are charities benefiting homeless shelters, youth programs, and food banks. By competing, not only are you helping those in need, you’re also making room for dessert!
TV Watching Marathons
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, followed by the National Dog Show, and then nonstop football games. There are shows for the whole family to watch every Thanksgiving, which is perfect considering you probably won’t want to leave the couch once you’re stuffed. After the football is finished, top the evening off with a movie marathon of Christmas films, James Bond, or Harry Potter.
Festive Table Settings
With so much family in one space, you want to make the table look as beautiful as possible! First off, every family member deserves a nametag to make sure the seating arrangement is in order. Do you craft a cornucopia centerpiece? Or light a bunch of candles? Other ideas include decorating the table with fresh flowers, colorful gourds, dried maize, wheat sprigs, and backyard pinecones or buckeyes. With so many options, the table can take on a different look every year!
Never-ending Food
Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a feast. Whether you start the meal at noon or night, there should be a scrumptious selection of sides and entrees. The best part about so much food to go around is all the leftover meals created during the following days. Turkey sandwiches, soups, and spreads will keep the family full during a weekend of shopping and football watching.
Crowd pleasers include turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and green beans. But there are also regional favorites that make Thanksgiving a little different for every family. Such as rutabaga in the North, marshmallow sweet potato casserole in the South, pumpkin empanadas in the Southwest, Dungeness crab in San Francisco, and pineapple turkey in Hawaii. Does your family have any old photos showing their unique spread for Thanksgiving?
Delicious Desserts
A Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without a sweet treat afterward. Pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies are the most traditional of the desserts served this holiday. All three staples are native to North America and harvested in the fall right before the big feast. Other go-to selections include cheesecake, sweet potato pie, or cinnamon rolls.
Black Friday Shopping
Black Friday started in the 1960s when a Philadelphia police used the phrase to describe the traffic caused by holiday shopping. By this time, it was already common for people to call in sick to work so they could shop over a long weekend. Now the shopping holiday has evolved into week-long sales, stores opening as early as Thanksgiving evening, and e-commerce shops embracing Cyber Monday to advertise extra sales. Whether you avoid the crowds on Black Friday or make a family event out of the spectacle, it’s the season for getting the best deals on gifts!
