Thanksgiving Weekend Family Traditions

The Friday evening after Thanksgiving is the day when my husband and I traditionally put up our Christmas tree. We started doing it that day when our oldest son was in college and would be home that weekend. And, now that all of our children are grown and no longer live in the same town as we do it has turned into a family tradition. Usually our children have all come home for Thanksgiving and can spend the long weekend with us. This way they all get to help decorating the tree. Decorating our Christmas tree has become important to all of us. I hope this is something our grandchildren will have happy memories of when they are grown up.

As our family has grown, we no longer have enough rooms or beds for everyone. No problem! It turns into a big slumber party. We have air mattresses that can be used for beds. We all like sitting around and talking, playing games and laughing. We eat leftovers and popcorn and just have an old-fashioned good time together.

Our own children like to get up early the morning after Thanksgiving and go to the Black Friday sales. We used to like to do that but now we find it much more fun to stay home with the grandkids and spend some special time with them. This is becoming a new family tradition of the grown-ups, minus Mamaw and Papaw, going shopping and the grandkids staying home for a fun time. Last year we spent the afternoon making Christmas ornaments. (put in link for ornament article) This year we are going to make placemats for Christmas dinner. I am pretty sure that we will be making some tree ornaments too.

These are two of the new Thanksgiving traditions that have developed in our family. It is surprising how easy it is to have traditions and not even realize that is what you are doing. These traditions turn into happy memories for the younger generation as well as the older generation. It gives the whole family something to look forward to every year and a knowing that even if you don't see each other much the rest of the year, you will have this one weekend together.

Look around and see what have become traditions in your own family. Don't make changes to something your kids and grandkids are looking forward to doing. Those little ones haven't lived as long as we have, and what we haven't even noticed we are doing might just be a family tradition in their eyes.