Thanksgiving Traditions Can Bring Families Close

 Thanksgiving is a time for togetherness and traditions. Your traditions may have been passed down through the generations or they may be newly created. Either way, celebrating with your friends and family in your special way will bring you all closer and create memories that will last. Thanksgiving is a time of appreciation for the things in our lives that make each day special.
 The most common traditions center around turkey, stuffing, family and friends getting together to share a great meal. However, how the meal actually gets to the table could be quite different. Some of us go turkey hunting and then deep fry the bird after we get one while others go to the store and pick out the size that will fit the size of the group. And even some will call a caterer and request the bird with "all the fixings." Gathering together to watch football on TV after lunch and zonking out on the couch has become yet another of those traditions that we may poke fun at, but still happens year after year by a large group of the ones making the jokes. For some, it can be about getting out your address book and updating your Christmas list.
 Thanksgiving Day is often thought of as the beginning of the Christmas season and used as a time to decorate the house and Christmas tree. This will begin the long awaited Christmas season adding an air of anticipation to the house. Another tradition has become sitting down with all the sale papers to see what the best deals are going to be on the Black Friday sales the next day. While these traditions may not have been shared by the early settlers, they have become quite popular over the years and are shared by families across the US.
Overall, traditions are as much a part of the celebration as the meal and are meant to be passed on from person to person. From stuffing our faces as well as the bird to falling asleep on the sofa only to wake up a few hours later ready for more, the standards cannot be beat. And by sitting down with your kids after a great Thanksgiving meal, showing them your traditional methods of celebrating the day, and ramping up the holiday season, you can pass your traditions on to them, a legacy of love and appreciation for all that Thanksgiving represents.