Personal Thanksgiving Traditions

As the child of Filipino immigrants, there aren't many long-standing Thanksgiving traditions my family and I have religiously followed throughout the years. I will say that I have learned that traditions can change as life happens. Divorces, growing up, moving away, living in foreign lands, remarriages, and having kids will do that.

What follows is a list of Thanksgiving traditions I have been privileged to take part in through various stages of my life. Each one is special in its own way and carries fond memories in my heart.

Personal Thanksgiving Tradition #1: Invite an Immigrant to Thanksgiving Dinner

When I was a kid, there is no way I would have had a traditional American Thanksgiving Dinner if it hadn't been for the church choir my family and I belonged to. When your parents are immigrants, they don't know too much about roasting turkeys, making mashed potatoes, or baking sweet potato pies. They will eventually learn, but it can be a slow process.

So every year we would make a trip to the choir director's house, where she would serve turkey and all the trimmings to a group of family and friends. This tradition is where I learned to love the gluttony of consuming food until you explode, followed by laughter, good times, and good friends. It also drove home the meaning of Thanksgiving for all of us.

Think about it - the original Thanksgiving was a celebration among pilgrims and their newfound neighbors as they settled in a new land without family and friends. My parents were like modern day pilgrims. They had left their homes, families, and friends in the Philippines in search of a better life in America. Thanksgiving was a way for them to celebrate their new home country with newfound neighbors and friends. Sound familiar?

The best way to see the awesomeness of this country and the hope it holds for many people worldwide is to see it through the eyes of an immigrant. Now, immigration debate aside, I encourage everyone to make friends with their new neighbors and invite them to Thanksgiving dinner. You'll be surprised at what you can learn.

Personal Thanksgiving Tradition #2: Celebrate Thanksgiving with Friends

When you live far away from family, it can be hard to celebrate the holidays alone. It's why my friends and I make a point to celebrate together if anyone is unable to go "home" for the holidays. It can be a different celebration every year: sometimes one of us makes dinner, sometimes we have a potluck, and sometimes we go out to eat at a fancy restaurant. The point is that we spend time together and no one is alone.

This tradition is a lot of fun for us, especially living in a town like Las Vegas. There is always something to do. The best part I've discovered is that you don't have to be on your best behavior all the time, you don't have to sit there and thank your relative umpteen times for the ugly sweater she sent you, and you don't have to suffer through well-intentioned-but-they-still-hurt comments. In other words, your teeth won't be tired from gritting all day, and you miss out on the regular family drama that can be so taxing during the holiday season.

I read in a greeting card somewhere that friends are the family we choose for ourselves. So if you can't go home for Thanksgiving, spend it with your second family - your closest friends.

Personal Thanksgiving Tradition #3: Celebrate Christmas at Thanksgiving

This is a tradition that started shortly after my dad and stepmother got together. Our blended family was created as my stepsister, brother, and I were finishing up college and moving away to start our own lives. My sister and brother would spend Thanksgiving with my dad and Christmas with their in-laws or other family members. Me, I was married to my job at the time so I followed suit.

My stepmother decided that since this was the time of year everyone was together, we would celebrate both holidays at once. So a couple of traditions started from this idea, and we pretty much follow the same routine every year we are able to get together.

Sometime during Thanksgiving week, the Christmas tree goes up in the foyer. It may seem a little early to be doing this, but my nieces and nephews can help and it starts to build the excitement that the holidays are officially starting. The tree is set up by Thanksgiving dinner, which is prepared every year to perfection by my step-mom. After dinner is over and cleanup is completed, we gather in the foyer and start exchanging Christmas presents. I have learned to bring a collapsible suitcase with me so that I'm able to bring everything home.

It's fun, we get two holidays for the price of one, and it's great to see the kids' reactions when they open their presents. We also have a tradition of grumbling about having to take our annual themed family portrait that weekend (don't ask), and cooking a traditional Filipino dinner for my dad's birthday the night before we leave.

So if your family can't get together for every holiday, try celebrating multiple festivities at once. It can save quite a bit of time and money.

Personal Thanksgiving Tradition #4: Celebrate Thanksgiving Any Way You Can

There have been plenty of years where I did not have the traditional Thanksgiving dinners. When I was going to college in upstate NY, my mom and I spent Thanksgiving every year with my uncle and aunt in NJ. In addition to the traditional fare, my Puerto Rican aunt always made Spanish hot chocolate to keep us warm in such chilly weather. I have one word for that tradition: yum!

Another short-lived tradition I'm fond of is the two years of college I lived in the Philippines. Never was I more homesick for America than when it came time for Thanksgiving dinner. At the time, few Americans lived in the Philippines and it's really hard to find a whole turkey in Manila! But really the one thing I wanted most was an apple pie, because you can hardly get more American than that.

Imagine my surprise when I came to dinner that evening and my aunt's husband showed up with an apple pie for me. He had searched the whole of Manila for one because he knew how much I wanted apple pie for Thanksgiving. And the following year, he bought one for me as well.

Even though these two traditions didn't last long, they stick out in my mind because I can't think of a time when I experienced a more powerful display of the love and importance of family than I did during those years. It drives home the point that Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks for what you do have, even if it's very little.

And it's the reason I always celebrate Thanksgiving, even if I'm alone in a diner with a Thanksgiving turkey and some cranberry or if I'm meeting my new beau's parents for the first time.

So no matter your circumstances this year, celebrate Thanksgiving any way you can. It doesn't have to be fancy or plentiful, it can be simple and unassuming. We live in a great country and this is a great holiday. I for one am thankful for all of you, my fellow Americans. We are what make this country great.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!