Thanksgiving Family Traditions
An American Thanksgiving is steeped in not just history but family traditions as well. It seems that most have particular traditions, whether it is watching movies or sports on television, using special plates and dishes on the dinner table, crafting decorations for the home or drawing names for Christmas gift giving. Yet there do seem to be a few tried-and-true traditions that are more often celebrated than others.
The National Turkey Federation says that 95% of Americans serve turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Of course there are regional differences as to how the tradition of turkey preparation is carried out. For instance, in Hawaii they enjoy coffee rubbed turkey, while in the New England area they love the salt encrusted turkey, claiming it is an excellent way to hold in the juices. And, of course, in the south they love their deep fried turkey.
In 1876, the first intercollegiate championship football game was played and since that time family traditions have included either watching the game together or even tossing the pigskin around themselves on the holiday. Either way, this has become as popular with many families as the traditional Thanksgiving Day feast.
That brings us to another great tradition, which is to watch a parade. This tradition originally started with the first one in 1920, which was put on by the Gimbel’s department store. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade began in 1924 and has been growing ever since, becoming an annual event with bands, floats and balloons. It is now watched by over 46 million people every year both on television and in person along the route.
Next among the popular family traditions is making a wish. Does your family have trouble deciding over who will be tugging on each end of the wishbone from your turkey? If so, then you are not alone, as this tradition goes all the way back to 322 B.C., when the Etruscans did the same, with the one getting the larger piece having their wish granted. This tradition was kept alive by the Romans who took it with them when they took over England, and then the English brought the tradition to this country, thus making it a popular American tradition at Thanksgiving.
And the last, but definitely not the least of Thanksgiving customs is to give thanks. Thanksgiving is all about the giving of thanks and can be shown through attending church services and saying Thanksgiving Day prayers. Saying a prayer before sitting down to enjoy the wonderful meal can also be made into another tradition by allowing a different family member the opportunity to say the blessing each year. Also, in keeping with the spirit of sharing, many Americans volunteer their time at soup kitchens, by serving food and giving companionship to those who are less fortunate.
You probably already have certain family traditions that you observe at Thanksgiving, yet you can still come up with new ways of celebrating and starting your own, unique family customs. Remember that it does not have to be anything elaborate, as long as it celebrates the spirit of sharing and giving thanks for your blessings in life.
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