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43 Thanksgiving traditions to add to your holiday celebration

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Thanksgiving is a cherished holiday that brings families and friends together in a spirit of gratitude and joy. While the classic Thanksgiving feast remains a staple, there are countless ways to make the holiday your own. Here’s a list of 43 Thanksgiving traditions, old and new, to inspire your celebration this year.

Prepare your Thanksgiving feast together with family

Cooking is more fun with others! Get your family involved in cooking and preparing all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes like turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Tune in to watch the iconic parade filled with floats, balloons, and performances. Don’t forget to stick around until the end when Santa makes his appearance!

Break the wishbone

After your family is done eating, two people can pull apart the turkey wishbone for a chance at good luck.

Share gratitude

Go around the table and have each person share something they’re thankful for.

Volunteer for a good cause

Give back this Thanksgiving. Spend part of your day volunteering to serve meals at a local church or soup kitchen, hand out clothing and warm coats at a clothing drive, or spend time visiting nursing home residents.

Watch — or play! — football

What’s Thanksgiving without a little football? Tune into the game on TV, or organize a friendly match in your backyard.

Run a turkey trot

Participate in or organize a fun run to start the day with some exercise.

Host a Friendsgiving

Gather your friends and do Thanksgiving all over again — host a Friendsgiving with all the fixings.

Craft Thanksgiving decor

Decorate your home for the season — it’s easy to craft homemade decorations using materials like autumn leaves and pine cones.

Share a family story

Keep traditions alive by sharing some family Thanksgiving stories around the table.

Create a gratitude jar

Throughout the month, add notes of gratitude to the jar and read them on Thanksgiving.

Make DIY Thanksgiving wreaths

Use seasonal items like pinecones and acorns to make festive wreaths.

Host a pie baking contest

Encourage family members to showcase their best pie recipes — the possibilities are endless. Apple, pecan, and pumpkin pies are just some of the traditional favorites!

Take a nature walk

Take a walk in nature to appreciate the beauty of the season.

Have a movie marathon

Kick off the holiday season watching classics like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving or dive straight into holiday favorites like Elf or The Santa Clause.

Host a Thanksgiving quiz

Test your family’s knowledge with a fun quiz about Thanksgiving facts and history.

Start a new family tradition

Introduce a new activity that could become a staple in future Thanksgiving celebrations.

Visit a local farm

Head to your favorite u-pick farm ahead of the holiday and pick fresh produce for your feast.

Plant a tree

Make a commitment to the environment by planting a tree as a family.

Write thank you letters

Break out the good stationary and pens, and sit down and write a note of thanks to friends and family.

Do Thanksgiving arts and crafts

Engage kids in making crafts like turkey hats or leaf rubbings to keep them entertained before the big meal.

Create a scrapbook

Document your Thanksgiving memories with photos and captions.

Host a virtual Thanksgiving

Family can’t make the long trip? Connect with distant family members through a virtual celebration, instead.

Plan for Black Friday

If you love a good deal, now is the time to plan out your holiday shopping ahead of the biggest shopping day of the year. Compile a list of sales and strategize your shopping for the next day.

Watch the presidential turkey pardon

Gather to watch the televised turkey pardon ceremony.

Set up a hot cocoa bar

There’s nothing better than a warm cup of hot cocoa. Make it even better by setting up a bar full of toppings — marshmallows, whipped cream, cinnamon, you name it.

Make a thankful tree

Decorate a tree with notes of thankfulness written by each family member.

Host a canned food drive

Organize a food drive to support your local food bank.

Create a Thanksgiving playlist

Curate a mix of songs to enjoy throughout the day.

Play board games and puzzles

Spend quality time playing board games or assembling puzzles together as a family.

Book a Thanksgiving yoga session

Many yoga studios offer a special Thanksgiving class to start the day off in a mindful space — attend your local yoga studios class to find your zen ahead of day filled with family and friends.

Explore local traditions

Participate in unique Thanksgiving events in your community.

Host a Thanksgiving talent show

Encourage family members to showcase their talents.

Capture the day

Hire a photographer or designate someone to take photos of the celebration.

Make a Thanksgiving time capsule

Include notes, photos, and small items to open next year.

Take a cooking class ahead of time

Want to brush up on your culinary skills? Take a Thanksgiving-themed cooking class to learn new recipes to share this year.

Create a family recipe book

Compile favorite recipes to pass down through generations.

Decorate cookies

Bake and decorate Thanksgiving-themed cookies to serve as part of dessert.

Build a thankfulness chain

Write what you're thankful for on strips of paper and link them to form a chain.

Have a Thanksgiving poetry reading

Share poems that reflect the themes of gratitude and family.

Create a harvest centerpiece

Use seasonal flowers and gourds to create a stunning table centerpiece.

Set up a DIY photo booth

Set up a corner with props and a backdrop for fun family photos.

Reflect on the year ahead

As the day winds down, discuss hopes and goals for the coming year.

These Thanksgiving traditions can add meaning and excitement to your celebration, creating a memorable day for you and your loved ones. With a blend of cherished customs and new activities, your Thanksgiving can be truly special.

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This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.