Non Traditional Ways to Celebrate Thanksgiving
Share Family Traditions and Volunteer to Serve Others
Oct 23, 2009
Most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving with family, food and football. There are some that have no one to share the day with. Make this year something to remember. Create lasting family memories by spending the day helping those in need.
Creative Ways to Celebrate ThanksgivingThis year, try to focus more on making memories with family and friends. Take a few minutes to reflect on and count life's blessings. Find creative ways to share and give back to others
- Volunteer to cook and serve dinner at a soup kitchen or shelter. Give the gift of a Thanksgiving meal to those who would otherwise do without
- Invite elderly neighbors, widows, widowers and stranded college students to share the family feast. No one should spend Thanksgiving alone.
- Participate in a local Thanksgiving Day race. Many communities hold Turkey Trots to raise money for local charities.
- After the dinner, treat everyone present to a movie at the local movie theater. Many people cannot afford to go see new releases at the theater. Make this a special after dinner treat.
- Bring the Christmas decorations out and let friends and family help decorate the home for the holiday season. Many families, due to traveling restraints, combine Thanksgiving and Christmas into one celebration.
Serve Non Traditional Foods on Thanksgiving DayThere are many Americans who would rather do without a day of turkey. Surprise family and friends with something new. It doesn't really matter what's on the menu. Enjoy the day.
- Pick up several buckets of fried chicken from a local restaurant. Order sides of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and baked beans. Serve with hot buttered biscuits and a few store bought pies.
- Make a pot of deer chili. Venison was one of the meats served at the first Thanksgiving. Provide crackers, chips, corn bread and shredded cheese. This would be an excellent choice for colder climates.
- Fill the crockpot with lamb stew. Lamb is gaining in popularity as a special treat for celebrations. Serve with sour dough bread and warm fruit cobbler for dessert.
- Consider baking family size frozen entrees from the supermarket. Choose from a variety of American, Mexican or Italian dishes. Each family size entree usually feeds 8-12 people.
- Have a cook out. This may not be an option up in the northern states, but down in the warmer south, it could be true hospitality.
After Dinner Entertaining and ActivitiesThe meal was a success. Don't let the festivities stop there. Plan several activities to keep guest entertained. Consider an afternoon walk or nature hike.
Set out several different board games and puzzles. Make sure there's something to entertain guest of all ages. Coloring sheets and arts and crafts might be provided for younger children. Older adults tend to gravitate toward multi player card games and dominos. Some prefer to just sit and talk. Keep the conversation running smoothly by having a list of topics on hand. Avoid discussions about world issues, politics and religion. Provide a few whole group games like charades, trivia or pictionary.
Giving Back and Sharing With Others
With a little planning, it's easy to cook for 2 or 20. Share the day with family, friends, neighbors and those who would otherwise be alone on Thanksgiving. Give back to the community by participating in local charity events or serving in a local soup kitchen. Make Thanksgiving more than just a day of food and football.
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