New Traditions for Your Family’s Thanksgiving Celebration

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie and football games… there are many things to love about Thanksgiving. But it’s more than just another occasion on which to share a big meal and cheer on our favorite teams. In fact, it’s perhaps the only opportunity many of us have during the busy holiday season to spend quality time with loved ones without the stress of gift giving to distract from our enjoyment.

Establishing family traditions can add to your Thanksgiving experience, giving everyone even more to look forward to each November. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking for something new to add to your family’s celebration of the holiday, consider giving a few of these suggestions a try.

Sign up for a Thanksgiving ‘Turkey Trot.’

You’ll find these Thanksgiving Day footraces, many of which benefit local charities, in most cities. Some offer courses of different distances so that the whole family can participate. Dress up in matching costumes for even more fun. Dayton is known for their infamous Turkey Trot which takes place in downtown Miamisburg every Thanksgiving morning. Check out their website for more information on events and how to register for next year’s wobble!

Include dishes from your family’s past.

What did your great grandmother always make for Thanksgiving? What was your grandfather’s favorite holiday side dish as a child? Discussing old family favorites encourages the sharing of special memories between generations. Track down recipes and include these favorite dishes at your next holiday meal.

Record your thanks.

Sharing what you’re thankful for is a common Thanksgiving tradition. Preserving those thanks for the future is a nice way to create a lasting memory. There are many way to do this, such as replacing your tablecloth with butcher paper and encouraging guests to draw what they’re thankful for. Another option is to pass around a journal and ask guests to write down their thanks. You can re-read the notations from previous years at future celebrations.

Host the Thanksgiving Olympics.

If your family includes a multitude of generations, this tradition is a fun way to encourage the adults and children to interact with each other. Plan a list of events prior to Thanksgiving Day (from shooting basketballs to three-legged races to these crazily creative ideas). Divide your guests into teams and watch hilarity ensue. This is great for those extra competitive families!

Plan a movie marathon.

If physical competition isn’t your family’s thing, watch a Thanksgiving movie or two together instead. While Hollywood has certainly made more Christmas-themed movies than Thanksgiving ones, a few options to consider include:

· A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

· A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving

· Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

· Home for the Holidays

Connect with family and friends who are far away.

Thanks to modern technology, it’s easy to include remote loved ones in your holiday celebration. Just schedule a Google Hangout or a Skype Group. Don’t forget video chat! You can even coordinate it around your meal so that everyone can say grace, offer toasts, or share what they are thankful for together.

Remember lost loved ones.

When spending time with the people you care about most, it’s natural to think about friends and family who have passed on. Why not make a tradition of sharing your favorite memories of these individuals a part of your Thanksgiving celebration? It’s a simple way to keep your loved ones alive in your family’s heart throughout the holiday season.

Stay tuned for our next blog on how these generational changes impact our beauty industry for the better! Enjoy all of the turkey and pumpkin pie and be sure to hug your families extra tight this holiday season. As a school, we will take the lead in saying what we are thankful for: our students, our staff, and you, our supporters.

Happy Holidays!

By Angela Rose for Creative Images Institute of Cosmetology