Thanksgiving Traditions

What kind of traditions do you practice at Thanksgiving?

On Thanksgiving Day, I've always watched the Macy's day parade in the morning while cooking, baking or cleaning and simultaneously consuming a pot of coffee (with a smidge of Baileys:). After that, I get to catch a glimpse of the National Dog Show before heading out to visit with family.

My favorite tradition started when I was a child and actually happens the day after Thanksgiving. My sisters and I slept in, then woke to Christmas music being played throughout the house. All of the decorations were brought up from the basement and we spent the day in a wonderland of carols, decorating, potpourri simmering on the stove, and leftover turkey and stuffing sandwiches.

When I moved into my first home, my sister would stay the night with me and help to decorate the next day.

Since this is the first year that Kelly and I have lived together for Thanksgiving, we don't have any traditions as of yet. Although, I'm very excited to have a new house to decorate!  I've already started getting boxes out of the attic and stacking them in a corner upstairs so that they're ready to go. We're even planning on hanging lights outside the house, I'm so excited it's sickening!

I love traditions. They give us a sense of season, a sense of belonging. Something to look forward to and something to remember fondly.

Here are a few ideas that would be fun to start...

• Break out the home videos. After everyone's eaten, dig into that old tub of VHS or DVDs and laugh at all the old times. Kelly and I have never seen videos of eachother back in the day, I think it would be fun!  And getting to laugh about so-and-so's stylin' mullet or cousin Susie's floral mumu? Bonus.
• Take a hike- two and four-legged family together. Between my parents & sisters alone, we have 8 dogs between the lot of us. It would be great for everyone to get all bundled up and, with the dogs, head out as a family to walk off that pie!
• Gametime. Growing up, we were a family of all girls so afternoon football wasn't really our thing. On the other hand, we do love a nice competitive round of Catchphrase or the name game.

I'd like to know, what are your Thanksgiving traditions?