Traditions have to start somewhere. Besides gobbling up the turkey and trimmings, which is at the heart of the annual feast, you might consider something new this year to help cement family bonds and give deeper meaning to the holiday.
Suggestions from moneycrashers.com include the following:
Put technology aside for the day. Outlaw all the gadgets at least for the duration of the dinner and for a period of uninterrupted and uninterrupted visiting. Collect the cell phones in a basket as family and guests arrive. And let host and hostess lead the way by keeping conversation flowing and providing opportunities for children’s entertainment (Nope. No TV) to bridge the “tech fast.”
Choose a charity project and use the usual pre- and post-dinner periods to fulfill it. If it’s feasible, volunteer as a group at a local soup kitchen or other organization that provides for the needy. Organize a neighborhood food drive to be completed after Thanksgiving. Or actually go out to collect items. Plan ahead to donate to annual Christmas toy drives by asking each child in your group to find ten expendable toys. Visit an assisted living or long-term nursing facility. Contact the facility ahead of time to learn what particular needs are. Reading, telling stories or providing music are simple gifts that have great meaning to patients. Take dinner to someone you know might not have ready access to family during the holiday. You’ll return to your own table uplifted and more grateful for what you have.
Make a jar for “thankful” comments. Put it in a prominent place and provide sticky notes or notepaper for family members. Encourage them to think about daily blessings and the extraordinary graces that come from time to time. Pass the jar and have each person read a note during your meal.
Register for a race. Many communities sponsor a “turkey trot” or 5K race of other outdoor events to mart the holiday. A list of such events is posted on the Running in the USA site. What a great way to work off the extra calories hidden in those yummy holiday specialties.
Write a letter to a hero. Maybe he or she didn’t make headlines, but we all have heroes. Encourage children to identify those they most admire and then write that person or persons a letter expressing thanks. If they need help recognizing their heroes, remind them of church leaders, teachers, doctors, special friends, family members, even favorite entertainers who contribute to the joys of his or her life. Then be sure to post those letters when the post office re-opens.
Theaters usually have special family movies lined up for the holiday period. Buying tickets ahead of time might save some frustration on site. Some theaters allow you to reserve seats. Just do it in plenty of time to avoid any last-minute hassle that would detract from the meal.
Instead of eating and then running for the football game, take time for some genuine family conversation. Give each member of your group time to talk about him or herself. Call for everyone to say something positive about little Suzy or Uncle Bill. Or ask each person to choose just one other member of the gathering, focusing on good qualities and explaining how valuable that individual is in the life of the speaker. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate those qualities that make us willing, wanting and waiting to sit down together for feasting and family nurturing.