Christina (1½) decorating the Christmas tree, Thanksgiving 1991.
Thanksgiving was always one of the favorite holidays at our house. A perfect time to emphasize gratitude and good food, it was especially a time to spend together as a family, doing some of the activities we enjoyed most.
Pre-Thanksgiving Homeschool
When Will and Christina were little, we did a lot of Thanksgiving activities, from Montessori-inspired Thanksgiving activities (such as picking up miniature Thanksgiving objects with a tweezers) to reading lots of Thanksgiving books to making Thanksgiving crafts. Montessori-based religious education inspired artworks of gratitude. When Will and Christina were older, our Thanksgiving simply focused on gratitude with homeschool activities including occasional Thanksgiving crafts or books unless our unit studies that year included the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day started with the focus on the day’s feast. We’re vegetarians, so we make nut loaf instead of turkey. It’s actually much tastier than it sounds and has rice, walnuts, tomatoes, green peppers, and onions with mashed potatoes on top. We also have a cranberry salad, an extra dish of mashed potatoes, carrot sticks, pickles, whole grain bread, fruit punch, and pie and ice cream for dessert. (Note: Join me on Tuesday for my nut loaf and cranberry salad recipes as well as ideas on how to make a family recipe book. Update: Here’s the link to my Vegetarian Thanksgiving Recipes and Family Cookbook.)
A highlight of the meal was always the Thanksgiving prayer with everyone holding hands around the table. Everyone was given a chance to thank God, but my husband, Terry, gave the main part of the prayer, always including some humor along with expressions of gratitude.
Will (6½) decorating the Christmas tree, Thanksgiving 1991.
After our 1:00 p.m. dinner, our Christmas season officially began. Will, Christina, and I put out all our Christmas decorations and decorated the Christmas tree. We usually watched a video (our first Christmas movie of the season), and Terry, Will, and Christina played games.
Will’s and Christina’s FavoriteThanksgiving Memories
Will and Christina are now 25 and 20. I interviewed them about their Thanksgiving memories.
I asked Will, “What do you think of first about Thanksgiving when you were growing up?” Will said:
I liked spending time with the family and putting up Christmas decorations. I liked the food – special dishes like nut loaf, mashed potatoes, and cranberry salad.
Then I asked, “What did you like the very best about Thanksgiving?” Will said simply:
Spending time with the family.
I asked Christina, “What do you remember about Thanksgiving when you were growing up?” Her answer was:
I remember getting the chance to read and spend a lot of time with the family. I always enjoyed baking and cooking the food with you. [Note: Will helped, too.] I usually ground the cranberries, made the whipped cream, and cut the grapes for the cranberry salad. I liked going to Village Inn to order and pick up our pies. [Village Inn chocolate peanut butter cup pie was a family favorite, so we had that along with pumpkin pie.] I loved sitting down and having the Thanksgiving meal with our family. I loved cranberry salad, nut loaf, pickles, mashed potato, the pies and ice cream, and the fruit punch – I liked it all. We always watched a Christmas movie and played games on Thanksgiving. I liked putting up the Christmas tree and decorations. I liked listening to Christmas music.
Then I asked, “What did you like the very best about Thanksgiving?” Similar to Will, Christina said:
Being with family and the meal.
What are your family’s favorite Thanksgiving traditions?
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What a blessing that they remember with such fond memories! I am trying to build some new traditions with them this year and hope it makes an impact.
Thanks so much, Sherry! I’m really thankful my kids appreciated our family traditions. I’m sure your new traditions will make an impact, too!
I am stopping by from The Hip Homeschool Hop to say hello! {wave}
Thanks for stopping by, Shawntele. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
What sweet, warm memories!
Thanks, Michelle! I can never get enough of reliving the memories and going through the photos of Thanksgivings past!
I’m stopping by from Mom Loop.
YOur nut loaf sounds delicious. We are vegetarian too and usually make Tofurky and lasagna for Thanksgiving dinner. I’ll be back on Tuesday to check out your veggie recipe.
Your children’s responses to the questions about Thanksgiving were beautiful.
Thanks so much for your kind words, Lori! I’ll look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!
Stopping from Mom Loop! It was great to read what your children thought about the holiday.
Thanks! It really means a lot for me to hear them say just how much they loved spending time with the family. They always showed it, too!
Your Thanksgiving traditions sound really great. Our family has some great traditions also.
Thanks for your kind comment, Lorie! I hope you have a wonderful weekend – and a wonderful Thanksgiving next week!
You must be so proud that their answer regarding their favorite part was that they got to spend time with their family! For Thanksgiving we typically spend time over at my mother-in-law’s house (she’s just a few blocks away) and then we all play games and laugh. Really, we just hang out! 🙂
Thanks, Jen! I definitely loved hearing that my kids’ favorite part was spending time with the family! It sounds like you have some great Thanksgiving traditions, too!
Great traditions! We’re going to break out our box of Christmas books and movies this year on Thanksgiving. Should be fun.
Thanks for your comment! I always loved reading as many Christmas books and watching as many Christmas movies as possible!
Oh, I loved reading this! How fun it will be to revisit the memories when my kids are older! 🙂
Thanks, Melanie! It is so much fun to talk with my kids about their childhood memories now that they’re grown up!
Such fun memories! Great ideas too. I’m looking forward to the nut loaf and cranberry salad recipe. My Mom makes a wonderful cranberry salad. I didn’t like it when I was younger but now it’s one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes!
Thanks so much, Michelle! My daughter has brought the recipes over to England – and she now has English people celebrating vegetarian Thanksgiving!
ohh so nice..It is such a family moment.
Thanks, Patty! I always love reliving the memories!
What beautiful traditions you have with your family! And how wonderful that your children have such warm memories!
Thanks for your kind comment, Jennifer! I had so much fun interviewing my children – I always loved Thanksgiving in our family, and it was great to hear in my children’s words just how much it meant to them!