What do you do on Thanksgiving/what are your traditions?
Posted by puthythniffer@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 208 comments
I'm an Australian girl but my stepdad is a born and bred Texan. He's been living here for probably 20 years now, and obviously we don't have thanksgiving here, but I thought it might be a nice surprise to have a get together this year and celebrate thanksgiving like he did when he lived in the states. I know about turkey and cranberry sauce, but I don't know much else. Is it just a meal? What are your favourite thanksgiving traditions and food?
TickdoffTank0315@reddit
I pick up an OT shift then complain that nothing is open and I can't get anything to eat.
sluttypidge@reddit
I picked up Christmas last year and then decided not to make my dinner. Everything was closed as I was driving to my night shift š„² my friend from Denver was amused because things were still open for her. I ended up with gas station corn dogs.
We celebrated Christmas with my family earlier when all our schedules had aligned.
sluttypidge@reddit
Depends on which side of the family I'm going to.
My parents and sister will be on one side 6 hours away and I'm going to my grandparents on the other side this year because I'm working the night before Thanksgiving and there's no way I'm driving 6 hours just to eat food when I've been up all night.
On my father's side it's very much more traditional dinner with turkey and ham, rolls, green beans or green bean casserole, corn, carrots, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pecan pie made with molasses, pumpkin pie made with pumpkins grown in the garden and Pink Stuff (it's cool whip and cherry pie filling and I don't know what else but I like it. )
My grandparents will have a lunch with turkey breast (sometimes steak), mashed potatoes, I'll make some glazed carrots, and then a board of like pickles and raw vegetables and dip and rolls.
graciemose@reddit
Basically just hang out with relatives, watch the Macyās Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv, eat turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, roll, pie and maybe play a game and call it a day
andmewithoutmytowel@reddit
Itās very Norman Rockwell-esque, but we have Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn red stuffing, rolls, and green beans with lemon and ginger. At the start of the meal, we make a toast and everyone says one thing theyāre grateful for. The adults drink wine, the kids have sparkling apple juice.
ApplePajamas@reddit
Unfortunately I work. There are a lot of us who work normal hours on that day in the US unfortunately. Because of my industry being 24-7, I unfortunately havenāt had a thanksgiving off since 2018. They do feed us at work though! The local hotel caters us each a meal and I go home to left overs! Usually I will buy a turkey when they are on sale and do thanksgiving on a weekend around new years to celebrate.
NHguy1000@reddit
If you havenāt cooked Thanksgiving before, donāt overdo it. Keep the menu to the basics. It takes years of practice to deliver everything on time and hot. Make some things ahead of time (dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato, desserts). Donāt get too large a turkey, itās harder to get the dark meat cooked and the white meat still moist when the turkey is big.
sociapathictendences@reddit
OP this is really sweet I hope your dad likes it.
The general idea is a day to get together with family, eat a big meal with foods we donāt often eat otherwise, and mostly sit around. Watching American football is part of that for many people. Thereās also the Macyās Thanksgiving Day parade, and the Peanuts Thanksgiving special. Both are pretty lame but hit on a lot of nostalgia for some people so worth a shot.
Food wise turkey is a big deal but some families do a ham or Iāve even heard of brisket being served. Stuffing(also called dressing) and green bean casserole are also important sides. Turkey gravy and bread rolls are also important at my Thanksgiving dinner.
Electronic-Regret271@reddit
Australia is 18 hours ahead of the USA. The parade would super early on Friday morning.
sociapathictendences@reddit
Damn youāre right
vinyl1earthlink@reddit
In some families, there is a group walk between the meal and dessert. In my family, we go out to the barn and see the horses.
sociapathictendences@reddit
If we can get a quorum together we have a little turkey bowl with the cousins
Adamshifnal@reddit
Ya know Christmas Dinner? It's that. Watch some great TV, play some games, have an incredible roast dinner, share with loved ones.
problematicsquirrel@reddit
Christmas in australia is summertime, so its a lot of salads and cold meats. So not the same.
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
You need stuffing, gravy (a LOT of gravy) rolls of some sort (our family likes crescent rolls), a vegetable dish, like sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes. Also a pecan pie (since he's from Texas) or a pumpkin pie, maybe with some ice cream a la carte.
That's just our family traditions though. If you can find a really good deviled egg recipe, he will probably be over the moon. It's a Texas favorite at just about any family get-together.
Admirable-Catch@reddit
To add to that, let's address the stuffing or dressing. There are a lot of ways to make it, but being from Texas, odds are good he's used to it being made of cornbread specifically.
DionBlaster123@reddit
it's funny how 40-50 years ago, cornbread dressing probably would have been seen as "weird" to northern folk like myself
but yeah right around the 90s, i definitely remember cornbread stuffing mix being sold at stores. Now it's commonplace lol. I concede it isn't made from scratch but honestly with all the other stuff people have to make, i don't resent people for using the pre-mixes
DoinIt989@reddit
What did Northerners make stuffing/dressing with 50 years ago? My family always has used buckwheat (Polish influence), but I know that's not normal either.
tonyrocks922@reddit
White bread
Electronic-Regret271@reddit
You need sweet potatoes!
Tacoshortage@reddit
As a Texan, I second the Pecan Pie. You don't really have to do everything, but Turkey, dressing, rolls, gravy, cranberry sauce (from a can) and pecan pie would round it out well.
Shandlar@reddit
Wait, is stuffing not a requirement in Texas? I would put stuffing as the number 1 food for Thanksgiving. It's inseperable and even more critical than even the turkey in my family.
Tacoshortage@reddit
Stuffing = dressing for me. We don't actually stuff the turkey with the breadcrumbs, we prepare the dressing separately and serve in a bowl.
JasperStrat@reddit
That's actually a B story in an episode of The West Wing. The President ends up calling the Butterball hotline.
Shandlar@reddit
Ahh, ok. Just a dialect thing, fascinating. In western PA we would consider "the dressings" to be a term used to describe all the dishes other than the turkey itself combined into one term. I've never seen dressing used in the singular as a term for stuffing itself.
Like the cranberry jelly, green bean casserole, gravy and mash potatoes would all be consider "the dressings".
therealmmethenrdier@reddit
Interesting! I have never heard of that!
Tacoshortage@reddit
I have heard the phrase "all the dressings" before. Every family does this holiday in a vacuum, I wonder if I've been using the word incorrectly all these years.
fourthfloorgreg@reddit
You have not.
MyUsername2459@reddit
I've always seen dressing and stuffing refer to the same thing. If a distinction is made, it's that stuffing is cooked in the bird, while dressing is in a separate dish.
kjb76@reddit
I think actually stuffing the turkey has become more rare but the name has stuck, at least around here. Iām 48 and I canāt remember the last time someone stuffed the turkey.
DionBlaster123@reddit
your mom was not actually unreasonable with her worrying. stuffing can be dangerously undercooked for this exact reason
my mom and dad are immigrants but over time my mom got really good at cooking Thanksgiving dinner. She always insisted on stuffing the turkey, but she has it nailed down to a science. unfortunately not a lot of other people have experience with that
sgtm7@reddit
Same here. We do dressing rather than stuffing.
Secret_Number_420@reddit
stuffing - cooked in the bird
dressing - cooked outside the bird
Shandlar@reddit
See, now that's even more interesting from a dialect standpoint. If I was trying to make such a distinction in Western PA I would call cooked outside the bird stuffing and cooked inside the bird "filling".
Secret_Number_420@reddit
"cooked outside the bird stuffingĀ "
why? wasn't "stuffed" into anything ;)
Mobile-Ad3151@reddit
You forgot the mashed potatoes. Also, I always serve roasted carrots. Donāt like green bean casserole.
DionBlaster123@reddit
If he's a Texan, shouldn't it be called "dressing?"
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
We use both terms, depending on our mood.
DionBlaster123@reddit
Huh never knew that. thanks!
Jilltro@reddit
I think you mean āa la modeā not a la carte :)
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
You're right, I fixed it. Thanks!
Thorazine_Chaser@reddit
When you say gravy, do you mean what an Australian would call gravy or that white stuff you guys eat?
theshortlady@reddit
We have different kinds of gravy. The white stuff is sausage gravy, not giblet gravy for Thanksgiving.
Try looking up recipes from Southern Living magazine online. They're fairly reliable for traditional recipes.
DionBlaster123@reddit
Southern Living is a great magazine. I just like looking through it and seeing all the home decor for my imaginary house that I will never be able to buy lol
ThinkingThingsHurts@reddit
Gravy made from. The turkey drippings. It's closer to brown gravy, but instead of beef base, it's turkey base.
Thorazine_Chaser@reddit
That's what an Australian would call gravy for a turkey. Thanks.
ThinkingThingsHurts@reddit
The white gravy we eat is sausage gravy. Sausage , flour, and milk.
khak_attack@reddit
OP this is a good solid, standard Thanksgiving menu. Families will have variations of course, but this hits the main dishes!
Sp4ceh0rse@reddit
Food and football.
Make both pies!
No-Literature9620@reddit
Ooh good call on the deviled eggs! I forgot that in my comment but those are a MUST!
Kbbbbbut@reddit
Cranberry sauce is like the least important Thanksgiving side to me. Itās: turkey, sometimes also ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, Mac and cheese, rolls, pies, etc. football is playing, you wake up early to watch the parade, family may play some board games after the meal, maybe go outside and throw the football. I feel like itās just a day all about family, no oneās on their phones or worried about anything but family
vinyl1earthlink@reddit
I make the cranberry sauce from fresh ingredients - it's completely different from the canned junk they sell in stores.
Electronic-Regret271@reddit
Add apples to it.
timdr18@reddit
Honestly in this situation cranberry sauce might be underrated because itās so specific to American Thanksgiving. If heās been living in Australia for 20 years he might not have had it since he moved there.
JoeyAaron@reddit
A bunch of people are talking about watching football, which is a big part of Thanksgiving. However, many Americans go outside and actually toss around a football or play a game of touch football.
tlonreddit@reddit
We always watch the UGA v. Georgia Tech game, as a GT family.Ā
hotpie_for_king@reddit
But that game has always been on Saturday... Except this year, when it's on Friday.
BakkenMan@reddit
Do you like disappointment on your Thanksgiving?
HalloweenLover@reddit
Must watch the parades and football while falling asleep after eating all of the food. Although that might be difficult due to the time difference. Maybe record a game to watch.
Steampunky@reddit
Roast turkey is the main thing, if you can get one. It's kind of you to want to make it meaningful for him. Then he can go back to delicious Aussie foods!
sarcasmo818@reddit
Get ready to watch the Texas/A&M game! š¤š¤
Porcupineemu@reddit
Itās a big indulgent meal with good deserts. Pies especially are traditional. Any kind, but I would say especially apple, pumpkin and pecan.
We also usually watch football although with time zones Iām not sure how thatāll be in Australia. Main thing is the food and people getting together.
vwlssck@reddit
The comments covered most everything, but Thanksgiving traditions can vary family to family.
You can ask him what he used to do for Thanksgiving growing up. Or, if you are close to other relatives, ask them.
RunFarEatPizza@reddit
Dressing or stuffing. Usually made with cornbread. Gravy Green beans (personally I like blanched) Dinner rolls Mashed potatoes.
Elevendytwelve97@reddit
If heās from Texas, he might prefer Texas BBQ brisket or ham instead of turkey
Bluemonogi@reddit
This year my husband, daughter and I are traveling to my mother-in-lawās home on Thanksgiving. It is a 2 hour drive. We will eat a meal with her in the early afternoon. Her current husband, my husbandās younger brother and probably milās ex husband (not my husbandās father) will probably be there. No other family members will likely be there. The TV will be on. We will talk. We will try to leave about 4 PM so we might drive home before it gets dark. Mil will likely send leftovers home with us.
For food there will usually be turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie with whipped cream. We have been asked to bring deviled eggs.
Thanksgiving is mostly just eating a big meal with your family/friends. There are particular foods that are common.
Vast_Reaction_249@reddit
Texan here. Ham.
Icy-Student8443@reddit
i donāt celebrate thanksgiving really we just eat out then get some pie then call it a dayĀ
daleSnitterman_@reddit
Listen to Arlo Guthrie
AbominableSnowPickle@reddit
You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant...
It's a family tradition in my family, too!
daleSnitterman_@reddit
The joy of cooking with my mom while we sang along to it is cherished memory and tradition. It always came on at noon on the radio. Thereās actually a novelty shop (thatās iirc one of the first head shops in the us) called Group W Bench, presumably named after Aliceās restaurant massacre. We loved hanging out there as teens.
AbominableSnowPickle@reddit
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tempted to respond to your comment with that particular quote!
Whoever's cooking has to sing, it's a requirement. Even those in the vicinity have to sing along. If we miss NPR's (WPR, I'm not sure if NPR broadcasts it but I do know my local public radio station does. Usually at noon as well!), we put on the record :) Group W Bench sounds amazing, that sounds like a really cool place to hang out!
daleSnitterman_@reddit
You are my people.
Yes, you have to sing, Itās sacrilege to not. I donāt know if we listened to it on our NPR affiliate (I was a npr/pbs kid) but I know the rock stations would also play it.
This is the place I was talking about. Idk how it is now, havenāt been there since well before the pandemic, but yea it was a fun thing to do and past time as broke teens.
peepeepoopooman1412@reddit
have a big meal and make a ham that my grandma used to make and watch the cowboys lose
Red_Beard_Rising@reddit
When I was younger, we would have an extended family thanksgiving. Most of my father's side of the family still lived in the area. Christmas and Thanksgiving were like family reunions growing up.
These days I drive 3 hours to spend the weekend with my parents. It's also Wisconsin deer season, so dad and I get some bonding time every morning and evening. During the day, I laze around the house with mom or help her with whatever she wants/needs to do.
Sublimotion@reddit
Thanksgiving eve evenings, I use to volunteer at a local church for an hour serving food. Then we the volunteers will eat the leftovers and then play flag football on the church field late into the night and then sit around the field and drink and smoke after the church staff is gone.
Thanksgiving Days, typically spent with my in-laws, because my own family doesn't really celebrate it. The in-law family and extended family will do a potluck, each will bring their own turkey. Usually we will end up with a handful of turkeys to compare and feast, drink, smoke and watch American Football. The same several more toxic relatives and family members will always end up upsetting someone. Along with the same several ones everyone dreads to see. After the thanksgiving meal and party is all and done, partner and I will just take an hour or two walk around town with our dogs.
Thanksgiving weekends, I also generally will hit the bars with some of my childhood friends who will return home for the weekend and we catch up. A few of us will always get pretty wasted. But now as most of my friends now have kids, this hasn't really been a thing in a while.
therealmmethenrdier@reddit
Depending on your ethnic background some things will go on the Thanksgiving table that reflect your heritage. My family is Ashkenazi Jewish and we always had turkey, but we also always had a brisket, chicken soup, and tzimmes, which is sweet carrot mash. I know my Italian friend always had lasagne as well as the turkey and other Thanksgiving dishes.
AbominableSnowPickle@reddit
Listening to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant," Firesign Theatre, and Stan Freberg while making dinner.
And slightly pink mashed potatoes. When I was 7, we made homemade cranberry sauce (it was so good! I still kinda like the canned jelly type better for some reason). The pot was thoroughly washed and then used to boil the potatoes prior to the mashing. It must not have been super thorough, because the potatoes turned out with a pink tint. It was one of the best Thanksgivings ever, so every year since then a drop of food color is added to the potatoes. It's probably a little silly, but I'm 39 and still tint the potatoes...they taste better that way :)
einsteinGO@reddit
This is sweet!
Beyond the food, if you can subscribe to peacock or find it streaming online, it would be nice to play the Macyās Thanksgiving Day parade š
Queasy_Animator_8376@reddit
Our family tradition is the annual cursing of the turkey. The old man used the same old worn out electric knife year after year to carve the turkey in front of an open window while we were outside playing catch or something. "Sunnuvabitchin tough g*ddamn turkey. That Sunnuvabitchinsunuvabitchinsunnuvabitch." The tradition of swearing before grace lives on.
Snugglebunny1983@reddit
When I was little, we'd always have a big meal with lots of family members. Now it's just my husband and I. I cook a nice little dinner for us, we especially love the jellied canned cranberry sauce. We play board games, and watch football. It's nice.
Top-Comfortable-4789@reddit
Eat food and go to my familyās house.
Past-Apartment-8455@reddit
My dad started a tradition knowing that half of family is democratic and the other half is republican. He would start a political discussion, grab me and we would explore the farm. Come back in a few hours and they would all still be arguing. Drove my mom nuts.
These days, we will have Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving and usually the big family dinner is held at a church (only place that will fit us all-big family these days) on the following Saturday. I will usually drive 370 miles to see them, eat more and then drive back. My dad died decades ago and so there isn't anyone who will pull the stunts that he did. Maybe I need to continue his tradition...
jastay3@reddit
It is a holiday of community as much as food. You invite the extended family.
A good idea is to just have everyone bring something. If they are experienced they will know what is appropriate to the holiday. If this is a thanksgiving-themed holiday for foreigners I suggest you study up. Don't forget the turkey by the way.
letoiledunordstars@reddit
Mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie are the most essential dishes for meĀ
Sabertooth767@reddit
Yes, it's just a large meal with friends and family. Usually in my family the men will watch a sports game (the NFL always plays on Thanksgiving) while the women gossip and finish food preperation. Then we all sit down and eat together.
My family's table typically features:
taoist_bear@reddit
In most of the country women watch too. Especially those under 60 years old
veryangryowl58@reddit
No Detroit woman is missing the game this year. The kids can prepare the food.
DionBlaster123@reddit
as a Bears fan, it's nice to see the Lions absolutely throttling the Packers over the past few seasons. I moved from Chicago to Wisconsin 12 years ago so it helps ease the sting
but man...i am not looking forward to the bloodbath this Thanksgiving lol
veryangryowl58@reddit
Thanks and FTP! As a longtime Lions fan I'm taking NO game for granted lol. I just need our defense to please stay healthy dear God.
DionBlaster123@reddit
i'm a Michigan fan so i am pretty devastated that Hutchinson had that brutal injury...in such a blowout fucking win too
hopefully he can bounce back. i'd love to see him terrorize O-Lines for years to come (just please not the Bears lol. Lord have mercy)
veryangryowl58@reddit
It was so brutal. And then during our blowout win against the Jags this week Anzalone broke his arm. Makes it impossible to enjoy!
needsmorequeso@reddit
Yeah sporting events are for everyone.
shelwood46@reddit
Yes, especially if their team is playing that day.
annaoze94@reddit
If he celebrates Christmas, its also very important to do some major Christmas shopping The Friday after Thanksgiving and dont do any Christmas decorating or celebrating until that day.
IHaveALittleNeck@reddit
Black Friday is a thing in Australia, too.
theshortlady@reddit
We always made Waldorf Salad.
lisasimpsonfan@reddit
Whitegate salad or green stuff as we call it in our house is Americana you get. I usually make it for dessert for spring or summer BBQ since it is served cold.
idontknowdudess@reddit
And then the men clean up afterwards...right?
Lol if not, that should be added if the women are doing all the cooking.
SpookyBeck@reddit
Chocolate pecan pie!!!
PurpleAriadne@reddit
Pumpkin and apple pies for dessert
FunClock8297@reddit
Mashed potatoes too!
Low-Cat4360@reddit
Depending on where in Texas he's from (or even traditions of his particular household), he might prefer dressing over stuffing. No they aren't different names for the same thing either, they are separate dishes
AvonMustang@reddit
If your dad is from Texas it's also likely to have had sopapilla cheesecake for desert. It's super easy to make...
Accomplished_Time761@reddit
My family always started by having a light breakfast while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on tv. Turkey, ham, stuffing(my family always did sausage stuffing), mashed potatoes, gravy, FRESH cranberry sauce because the can is something of a sign of desperation, pumpkin pie, rolls and some sort of vegetable... my family preferred oven roasted brusselsprouts. I'm 33 and my biggest takeaway especially now that I have a family of my own, include your kids in the entire process. Cooking, prepping, shopping EVERYTHING. It's a day for you to focus on family.
OK_Ingenue@reddit
Thatās a great idea!!! Iām sure heāll love it!
qu33nof5pad35@reddit
Usually nothing. Sometimes Iāll go over to a friendās house if invitedā¦ but I donāt really like to show face.
ConstitutionalBalls@reddit
Turkey dinner. But thats in October.
AntaresBounder@reddit
A 5k fun run for charity, a Turkey Trot.
1000thusername@reddit
Also make mashed potatoes, fresh bread buns, some side veggies, and get (or make/bake) some fancy pastries or pies.
1000thusername@reddit
It really is just a meal and an all-day hangout with booze and all the desserts. Maybe play some card or board games. Watch the football game and/or the parade and generally chill out with no obligations like there are on Easter (some people going to church, egg hunt for the kids, etcā¦), Christmas (giving gifts, all the shopping, church, etc.), or many other āfood-orientedā holidays. This one is solidly just food and hanging out and doing whatever is fun and relaxing.
Metroid_cat1995@reddit
OK so turkey and cranberry sauce of course, definitely some kind of vegetable dish I agree like sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole. Definitely have some mashed potatoes on hand because everybody likes those. Macaroni and cheese for the kids if there's gonna be any kids there. Apple pie pecan pie and pumpkin pie. Of course it's gonna be hot where you're at so definitely have some cool things on hand but usually when we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US it's cold as ice sometimes. Some people like to watch football.
HailState17@reddit
Alrighty, soā¦ Yes itās a meal, however thereās also a long of great football games on all day that day. Family will come over early, we watch the Thanksgiving day parade (see if you can stream it, itās kind of lame but tradition), then while the adults cook we throw football on and itās a full day event with family and friends. Generally, before we eat, weāll go around the table and everyone says 1 thing theyāre Thankful for. Which is really fun with the little kids, Iāll never forget the year he was thankful for kitty litter, so the cat doesnāt pee in his room.
secondmoosekiteer@reddit
I got super pumped about this thread, expecting to hear what silly things other toddlers were thankful was and... disappointment.
Hint hint āļø
DionBlaster123@reddit
it's hilarious to think there's three Thanksgiving games now...and the third one was tacked on mainly b/c the Lions were so fucking bad and people were angry that they were forced to watch them every year
now the Lions are good though, AND NFL fans get spoiled with a third game lol
eterran@reddit
Another weird TV tradition: right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, they broadcast the National Dog Show.
Technical-Cap-8563@reddit
From Kansas and we do almost exactly the same.
ZealousidealAd4860@reddit
BBQ food ? You can even grill the turkey if you want
bignuggetsbigworld@reddit
Dog show!
captainstormy@reddit
Food wise the average thanksgiving plate is going to have Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing or dressing, cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly a sweet potato dish of some sort and rolls of some sort.
There will be other things on the table but those are the core items. For dessert pumpkin or sweet potato pies are the main items.
As for what you do. You hang out with family and friends eat some good food watch some football and take a nap.
sneerfuldawn@reddit
A Texan most likely always had a Pecan pie, as well as pumpkin, for desert. Definitely gravy made from the turkey drippings, mashed potatoes and stuffing. Sweet potatoes are a staple, even if no one touches them. We have a really gross (imo) tradition of adding marshmallows to the top and letting them brown and turning to goo in the oven. Don't forget the dinner rolls.
WritPositWrit@reddit
Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy. Every family has different side dishes so you canāt guess from what we do, but if you whip out a turkey, heās going to be thrilled. Itās a wonderful idea.
purpletaco28@reddit
Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, eat, and watch football. Ham is my absolute favorite!
Floater439@reddit
This is the cutest thingā¦heās going to love it! Our tradition includes turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade cranberries with walnuts and halved grapes, and a couple pies (pumpkin, pecan, maybe a chocolate cream) with plenty of whipped cream. Thereās cold beer for watching the football game and a nice red wine for dinner, probably a walk with the dogs after we eat, maybe a flag football game in the back yard even. And itās absolutely an all day, pack the house with family and friends sort of thing. Honestly, itās probably more of a favorite holiday for families than Christmas as itās very relaxed and all about enjoying each otherās company.
xczechr@reddit
Eat too much food and watch football.
kingjaffejaffar@reddit
My family (usually just parents, siblings, their kids, and maybe a couple uncles) usually gets together for a late-ish lunch that consists of a large protein (usually some form of turkey but not always), corned bread dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce (straight from the can), and sweet potato crunch. Thereās usually some sort of bread roll and maybe another potato side plus pecan pie for dessert. Thereās usually a prayer before the meal and an expression of what weāre each thankful for.
We eat, watch football, nap, and sometimes throw a football in the yard for a little while. Some years, weāll go to the movies in the afternoon. Typically, everyone has left by dark.
ninjakittyATL@reddit
I hope we get an update š this is so sweet of tou!! Thankful for YOU! š
To-RB@reddit
Iām Southern and we did things a little differently than other Americans. We had dressing instead of stuffing and we cooked a hen instead of a turkey. We also had ham.
A typical Thanksgiving dinner for us: a hen, a ham, dressing, green beans, lima beans, creamed corn, squash casserole, cornbread, yeast rolls, collard greens, a relish dish (consisting of green onions, sliced tomatoes, green olives, and sweet pickles), cranberry sauce, pecan pie.
MeepleMerson@reddit
I live in New England (and grew up here), so we have a little bit different take on Thanksgiving than my (literal) Texan cousins. It is by far my favorite holiday in the USA.
I won't go into the logistical details of it, but we plan to have one large meal starting around 2. Our guests are invited to come at ANY time during the day, but they know that the big meal will be served at two. I typically get up super early and make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and around 10:30 we set out some cheese, crackers, and fruit for any early-birds to snack on.
The meal always consists of the following: a roast turkey, orange-cranberry sauce (my wife's recipe), seasoned mashed potatoes, gravy, a basket of homemade breads (one is always orange-cranberry, but often pumpkin, spent grain, cornbread, or a sourdough with berries and nuts), at least 1 salad, and one roasted vegetable (typically a winter squash dish or Brussels sprouts). If they aren't too expensive, I'll make some baked scallops (my mother's favorite). The more people we have, the more we make. We might have 20 people for dinner and a few more that come just for dessert.
Dessert: I ALWAYS make a pecan pie and a pumpkin pie. Depending on the number of people, I'll add caramel cake, an apple-based dessert, maybe a tart or two... I'll typically make some chantilly cream to go with it too.
Traditionally, we put the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on TV in the morning, followed by the AKC dog show. We might put on the WKRP in Cincinnati turkey drop episode, or the movies Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or Best in Show at some point during the day too.
After the meal, and before dessert, we typically take the dog for a walk around the neighborhood.
We serve tea, coffee, and mulled cider with the dessert.
People are invited to stay as long as they like. I might start a fire in the fireplace, and I have MANY board games, and invariably some folks end up playing board games (when my kids were younger, the kids would often play video games).
burner12077@reddit
Lots of people watch the Macy's day parade, some go hunting on the day (for turkey). Some watch the Charlie brown Thanksgiving special. my family has a book that we have each written a short "what i am thankfull for this year" every year for the last 25 years since we could write. Not a lot of super deep traditions in this holiday, just family getting together to be thankful for what they have and what they can share. Also, this is not really a dinner, most people fast all day and have thier Thanksgiving "dinner" in the early afternoon and only have some small snacks to tide themselves over while waiting.
For food, opinions may vary but I'll try to list what I think are the "essentials": Stuffing Turkey Mashed potatoes and gravy Green bean casserole Cranberry sauce Pumpkin pie Pecan pie Apple pie Sweet potato pie Turkey stuffing
I think every one of those items has been at every Thanksgiving I've been to without exception. Also you often see: Sweet potatoe casserole Cream corn Corn on the cobb Regular corn Roasted veggies (any variety) Bread rolls Salad?
The short of it: If i were you I would pick one or two items from the top list and follow a YouTube tutorial. Invite some family over to be with you guys and enjoy a good meal, that's as Thanksgiving as it gets.
stellalunawitchbaby@reddit
Usually I drive to my stepsisterās house (stepmom also there) in OC. We make way too much food, I bring an app and a āsert (I like bringing Portoās potato balls as an app and Iāll make a different dessert each year). Then after dinner my husband and I stop at Disneyland in the way home.
This year we are flying to Austin (my husbandās family moved there for work) so thatāll beā¦fun. My in-laws arenāt great cooks so Iām not expecting much as far as food but weāre still shipping Portoās potato balls to TX (and to the fam in OC).
VictorianPeorian@reddit
Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed potatoes (optional as far as I'm concerned but my family always has them), Gravy (the best is made from the turkey drippings, can go on just about everything savory), Cranberry sauce (some people like the canned jellied version, some like the version you make on the stoveāit's very easy and the recipe comes on the bag of Ocean Spray cranberries), optional to have a veggie like green bean casserole made with fried onions and cream of mushroom soup, or succotash (lima beans and corn mixed), a roll or crescent roll (optional) Sweet potatoes (my mom slices them 1" thick then puts butter and brown sugar on top and roasts them in the ovenāsome people add marshmallows), Pumpkin pie or maybe pecan pie with whipped cream (we get the canned whipped cream you spray on)
OldBanjoFrog@reddit
Listen to the song, āAliceās Restaurant ā
Im_Not_Nick_Fisher@reddit
If you think of it like a potluck it makes it all easier. Only you can make a turkey as the main dish. If everyone has that one dish that they make really well and brings enough for everyone to enjoy. It all works out so not just one person is going crazy to make everything somehow work. Everyone chips in and makes everything all together.
vinyl1earthlink@reddit
The problem with that is that you end up with 15 desserts - at least in my family, that's what happens.
Im_Not_Nick_Fisher@reddit
Lol and thatās a problem!
sloppy_sheiko@reddit
Well, if youāre part my family thereās going to be a lot of food, alcohol and light bickering lol!
My wife is one of three sisters and the kitchen turns into war zone when they all get in there. They all have their designated roles (oldest sister brines/cooks the turkey, youngest does the potato dishes & gravy, my wife does the rest of the sides) but they also like to micromanage/light heartedly criticize each other. The food always turns out amazing, but the hilarity leading to the meal makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday of the yearā¦
psychocentric@reddit
Mostly the meal and catching up with people you haven't seen in a while. We also watch the Thanksgiving Day parade and have a football game on while we mingle.
IHaveALittleNeck@reddit
Everyone mentioning TV doesnāt realize the time difference. I doubt OP is going to serve in the middle of the night when these things would be live. Australia is 16 hours ahead, give or take.
BilliamTheGr8@reddit
Turkey - Alton Brownās recipe is the absolute greatest. Stuffing/Dressing- a sort of savory bread pudding made with stale bread, turkey/chicken stock, onions, celery, seasonings Mashed Potatoes Gravy- a simple brown gravy using butter, flour, turkey/chicken stock and seasoning Green bean casserole- green beans in a cream sauce (cream of mushroom soup is the go to sauce base), fried onions, seasoning Sweet Potatoes - baked, skinned, mashed into a dish, covered in butter, sometimes topped with marshmallows or brown sugar. Cranberry Sauce- canned is common, I prefer homemade. Itās supposed to go on the turkey but a lot of people actually eat it as a side dish. Salad- usually a basic salad with ranch dressing Rolls- kings Hawaiian are super popular
Apple Pie- with or without vanilla ice cream Pecan Pie Pumpkin pie- topped with whipped cream
The meal itself is usually the only meal that day, typically served as a late lunch or early dinner. Some people snack through out the day while others will just hungrily wait for the main feast.
Itās a pretty time intensive banquet to prepare, with some dishes being prepared a day or two in advance. But a big part of thanksgiving is family involvement. Everyone hanging out, cooking, playing, just being together.
tmrika@reddit
TIL other families watch football on Thanksgiving, wow. Mine just hangs out and makes food.
DaniGeek@reddit
My husbands family started the tradition of going on a hike into the hogbacks just a few miles behind our house while the turkey cooks. It only takes about an hour and a half or so and it's a nice way to get your appetite going before a big meal.
My grandmother used to have appetizers of celery with cream cheese and gherkins. the first time I brought it over to my husbands family no one ate that stuff except for me. So I phased it out unfortunately.
Bridey93@reddit
Did the cream cheese have crushed pineapple in it? I don't like anything but the pineapple so I don't eat it but people lose hands over it in my family. Some new (and not so new) in-laws have made disparaging comments about them apparently. I'm wondering if anyone else does this.
DaniGeek@reddit
no we just sprinkle the cream cheese with paprika and maybe add some olives, but that's it.
vanbrima@reddit
We each take a turn saying what we are thankful for. Also throughout the year at dinner time, we each take a turn saying what our highs and lows were that day.
lamercie@reddit
Itās genuinely just a big feast. Iām mixed Chinese American, and half of my thanksgivings are the traditional turkey/mashed potatoes/casserole/sweet potato, and the other half is an array of Chinese food from around the country. The American version has many more pies, while the Chinese version has many more varieties of meats lol.
Iād say pumpkin pie is non-negotiable however.
AshDenver@reddit
Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes or sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce. Then stuffing (in the bird) or dressing (in a dish) plus a vegetable (corn, carrots, beans, Brussels sprouts) - the whole point of the meal is to celebrate the bountiful harvest and available plethora so let the market dictate the meal with basic guidelines.
My veg is corn in Colorado but my family in Michigan did beans.
Stuffing is a wide variety of things depending on the region. Iām not familiar with whatās popular in Texas but google and r/thanksgiving can help.
My stuffing is bread-based with crumbled cooked mild Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, celery, carrots, dried cranberries, walnuts, thyme, oregano, sage, marjoram, wine, butter, chicken stock.
Northeastern USA does a lot of oyster stuffing. Southeastern USA does a lot of cornbread stuffing. Some people even use saltines for stuffing/dressing.
theshortlady@reddit
In South Louisiana, we do rice dressing. My New Orleanian grandmother made oyster dressing.
NamingandEatingPets@reddit
Green bean casserole, mate. I donāt remember seeing crispy fried onions in the can at all when I lived there, but if you can find those and some cream of mushroom soup? You also donāt have Popcaan biscuits but some good Parker house recipe rolls would do.
And for many itās just the meal but itās a BIG meal. However, the day starts off with the Macyās Thanksgiving Day parade then football.
baalroo@reddit
The specific food depends on the family. For some people it's important to have specific items to eat, but not for everyone.
My family does turkey, spiral ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and rolls. For desert there's the cheap canned cranberry sauce, and then everyone generally brings a few baked goods (mostly pies or pie-adjacent things). For me, it's not thanksgiving without pecan pie, for my wife there has to be pumpkin pie.
Most families I know tend to have thanksgiving at the home of the matriarch or patriarch of the family, but everyone that wants to be involved with the preparation of the food is included by either arriving much earlier to the home where thanksgiving is being held, or by pre-making some items and bringing them along to either serve room-temperature or to finish cooking at the location.
So, everyone that's invited generally shows up around noon, and you hang around and talk about life together until the people who wanted to help cook say the food is ready. Generally in both our families the goal is to eat a late lunch (early afternoon). After you eat, you clean your plates to almost clean and add them to the sink/pile and a few people generally volunteer to wash up (if your family doesn't suck, these will be different people each year). Everyone else convenes back to sitting around and lounging/hanging out and chit chatting. There's usually an American football game on the TV, but there doesn't have to be. It is nice to have something most people could passively enjoy in the background on, just to give something else to focus on and avoid awkward silences and such.
At my wife's house there's beer and weed after we eat. At my parents' home, it's just desserts... with maybe a bottle of wine if someone in the family decided to bring a bottle.
lisasimpsonfan@reddit
Roast Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, dressing, corn, beet pickled eggs, green veggie, homemade cranberry relish, pie and whipped cream.
CrashZ07@reddit
Sometimes weāll have the usual turkey and sides like stuffing, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, etc. Apple/ Pumpkin pie. Thereās also been some Thanksgivings that we had Lasagna (my family is Italian-American) instead.
SteamboatMcGee@reddit
It is primarily a big meal, similar to Christmas dinner (but more focus on savory and fall foods than winter stuff) and a big family holiday.
Basics: - Turkey (roasted, fried, or smoked, whatever works) - (Optional) ham or beef roast, we always do turkey but large gatherings often have other meat courses too. Not everyone is a huge fan of turkey after all. - bread based stuffing - mashed potatoes - gravy (turkey drippings brown gravy generally)
Very common: - Green bean casserole (baked green bean with a crunchy topping) - sweet potatoe casserole (with marshmallow topping) - dinner rolls of some kind - salad (often layered) - pie (pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, etc)
There's usually other things too, depending on family tradition and regional variations, but get the core stuff and then add on whatever makes sense for your size gathering and tastes. The main point is to make a big, festive meal people will enjoy.
KatanaCW@reddit
This is not a tradition for everyone but for our family, aside from the meal, we must have the Macy's Thanksgiving parade on TV in the morning. It's more just playing in the background than watching it. Then we put on the National Dog Show. Then football. So tv is usually on all day which is unusual for us.
Everyone spends some time outside going for a walk or tossing a football around at some point. Maybe sitting by a fire on the patio. In the evening, if anyone has energy left, we play some board games.
pretzie_325@reddit
It's mostly about the meal and getting together with family. Some families go around and say what they're thankful for. Watching American football is common, or sometimes playing it outside if the weather is nice. My sister and I have a tradition of running our city's 10K race that morning- many cities offer a "turkey run."
i_dunt_read@reddit
For us Every year the food changes a little because we always try and do it pot luck style so everyone (or every household) brings a dish.
By the time everyone brings something itās definitely like a buffet serving style. Then people either chat, or root against the Dallas cowboys.
Also keeping a cooler stocked with beer and soda is a must.
xmoonaurora@reddit
Lots of great food suggestions already so I'll skip that.
I know a lot of people mentioned football, but growing up I always watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning and then the National Dog Show later in the afternoon. If you're animal lovers that could be fun to turn on!
leemcmb@reddit
Ooh, I forgot to mention the dog show!
leemcmb@reddit
A family get together centered around a large meal, usually with turkey. People may make statements about things they are thankful for. Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in the morning. And football (American football, obviously).
CarlottaStreet@reddit
I get extremely and shout at 18-23 years on the television.
quizzicalturnip@reddit
You have to watch American football.
Nice-Stuff-5711@reddit
Since we donāt have Walmart here, nobody leaves the table and punches out a stranger at the store.
Kitchen-Lie-7894@reddit
You have to have football on TV all day.
Jefffahfffah@reddit
Big meal with family. Drinks throughout the day/night. Not getting drunk per se, just a long relaxing feast. Maybe hit the bar with friends the night before. It's a night that many people are "back home" so you get to meet up with friends you haven't seen in a whole.
No-Literature9620@reddit
In my family, it's a big meal with lots of family visiting. Usually people watch football. Ours sometimes goes shooting to show off new guns lol. Once it starts winding down, we also usually play card games or board games. Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, casseroles, rolls, and desserts would all be options for more food.
CaptainAwesome06@reddit
My family has a tradition where we roll out homemade noodles. They are eaten with turkey gravy. Other than that, we have the typical stuff: Turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, etc.
I don't really like the noodles so as an adult, I didn't continue the tradition. My wife makes a homemade cranberry sauce. She also likes to get creative, which upsets my very traditional in-laws. One year she made a bacon lattice around the turkey. As an appetizer, we had pumpkin crab soup (which doesn't sound great but was actually delicious). My in-laws are visiting this year so I told my wife to get extra weird with it.
For the last 6 years or so I've been using the Char-Broil Big Easy oil-less fryer to "fry" the turkey. When properly brined ahead of time, it comes out great. Juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. All without the risk of burning your house down.
C5H2A7@reddit
Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade
Football
Turkey
Green bean casserole
Mashed potatoes
Rolls
Gravy
Sweet potatoes in some form
Pumpkin pie
Pecan pie
Sweet potato pie
Naps for everyone
WolverineHour1006@reddit
Itās a big family meal. The formality and size depends on the family. We usually host 15-20 family and friends. In our family the host makes most of the main dishes and everyone else brings a dish to share. Some families start with a toast or words about things we have to be thankful for (family and bounty, etc). Some families pray, if thatās their thing.
There is usually a LOT of food and itās common to send people home with leftovers. A turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce eaten the next day is the best part of the holiday for some people.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
Every two years we get the entire extended family together, like 50-60 people. It's like a family reunion. Also we play a game of pickup (American) football, winner gets bragging rights for 2 years. We watch the NFL Thanksgiving games, we have a big meal, we all drink and hang out and play games and just generally enjoy ourselves. It's one of my favorite holidays
calicoskiies@reddit
It is just a big meal in my family. One food thing I havenāt seen in the comments is baked ziti or lasagna. Thatās always a staple in my home.
aim179@reddit
Thanksgiving morning prep accompanied by listening to radio & gotta catch Arlo Guthrie Aliceās Restaurant for good vibes
SpookyBeck@reddit
We have a large family and since my grandmother died everyone brings a dish. Whosever house it is at does the turkey ham and drinks. Everyone else brings a side. Also my cousin has made a tradition where she always brings something for each household. One year it was an ornament, that kind of thing. Each year it is Christmas themed and kinda kicks off Christmas.
mickeltee@reddit
I quick scrolled the comments and everyone covers the food end of things very well and I saw some Thanksgiving day parade mentions. I did see football get mentioned, but what I didnāt see is that the Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving day. Obviously, I donāt if your dad is a Cowboys fan or even a football fan, but since heās from Texas that might be a fun slice of home to find a stream of the game this year.
SteampunkRobin@reddit
At ours everything brings something from a predetermined list of dishes that will usually be something like turkey (the host provides this), rolls and butter, pecan pie, sweet potato pie, green beans (might be a casserole), mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, corn (might also be a casserole), green salad and dressings, and/or ambrosia salad. Dishes can vary slightly from year to year.
Afterwards I and my brothers and nephew (we are all adults) will go to the pc and show each other the latest cool, funny, or interesting website/video weāve found. When we were still kids weād play Monopoly together with our cousins, but Thanksgiving dinners donāt include them anymore as they have their own kids and grandkids they celebrate with now.
Quenzayne@reddit
We always have ham instead of turkey, a tradition that started one year when our oven broke and we didnāt have the money to get it fixed lol
Before we eat, everyone says a prayer of thanks for something great that happened the past year and shares a hope they have for the next one. We read a few verses from the Bible about gratitude and thenĀ I, being the dad, say grace and we eat.
We always drink ginger ale or root beer with dinner.Ā
Then after dinnerāwhich we tend to eat around 1-2 in the afternoonāwe have pie and ice cream while we watch Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or something of the like.Ā
And then we play video games until we fall asleep.Ā
All of this works best if itās cold and rainy out, but this is going to be our first Thanksgiving in Florida, so weāll see how it goes. One thing I know Iām going to miss about So-Cal is how Thanksgiving always seemed to be the first chilly day of the year.Ā
manfrombelmonty@reddit
Eat drink sleep fart wake nibble drink board game argue several deserts drink fart make a small plate of leftovers drink first 10 minutes of a movie sleep fart last piece of cake on the way up stairs to bed sleep. Fart.
DaisyDuckens@reddit
We have everyone at the table talk about what theyāre thankful for over the past year.
broadsharp@reddit
Make a big dinner. Eat early afternoon. Make little turkey sandwiches later. Be happy
PerfectlyCalmDude@reddit
It's a big meal and extended family visit. We watch football too, or whatever else is on after football.
Besides turkey, there's also:
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Turkey dressing and/or stuffing (if it's cooked inside the turkey, it's stuffing; if not, it's dressing)
Rolls
Yams
Pumpkin pie
At least one other kind of pie - pecan, apple, or whatever
Optional ice cream to go with the pie
K5R5S5@reddit
Deviled eggs are a requirement at my house!
Relevant_Leather_476@reddit
Absolutely any holiday really..
annaoze94@reddit
If you do this please come back to this thread and tell us how it went!
annaoze94@reddit
Your stepdad is lucky to have you, If I was an American living abroad exactly what I needed
Pitiful-Anxiety-1410@reddit
its a whole day of lo key events
wake up put on macys day parade and see the floats and balloons and marchers and singers...ends with santa claus rolling past macys. food is cooking at this point. its a large meal so meal prep/cooking is almost continuous....the meal typically occurs between normal lunch and dinner time, like mid afternoon 3 o'clockish ? (at least in my house)...so its like "linner" (meal combining lunch/dinner).
right around noon the first nfl football game comes on...light appetizers such as a relish tray (pickles/maybe deviled eggs) may be served....some may go outside and play a "turkey bowl" (american) football game...touch or sometimes even tackle... to further build up the appetite..
eat, vary the menu at your own risk...people usually want certain things they eat every year...not the really the time to be super adventurous with the food choices...turkey/stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beab casserole, dinner rolls (its very carb heavy..not really a meal for green salads)...pumpkin pie for dessert...
after the meal, the second nfl game is on...and people can doze off accordingly...then as it gets later it will be time for second servings or leftovers... (same some for the next day as well)....usually there is holiday specials on tv, thanksgiving or christmas...to finish out the night...
Avasia1717@reddit
the classic american thanksgiving experience with traditional gender roles in place is for the women to start cooking in the morning and the men to watch football. maybe someone will want to watch the thanksgiving parade. when itās late enough the men might have a beer while they watch the game but not much in the way of snacks. they also might wander into the kitchen during halftime to see what the the women are doing. dinner is at 3 or so. if there are a lot of people, the kids might sit at a separate ākidsā table.ā
itās customary for some people to say what theyāre thankful for as dinner begins but itās not a requirement.
after dinner itās pretty relaxed. thereās usually still football on tv. some people help clean up and others sit around and complain about how full they are. hopefully thereās some leftover turkey so you can have turkey sandwiches for the next week.
MihalysRevenge@reddit
Ours in NM is fairly Americanized except we make red chile sauce for the Mash potatoes instead of gravy and green chile in the stuffing. Sometimes Empanadas are served
Electrical-Ad1288@reddit
My family lives on the other side of the country. I see them for Christmas. The last couple of years I would up going to a Brazilian style rodizio (steakhouse) with a couple of friends in the same situation Picanha is better than turkey.
QuirkyCookie6@reddit
It varies wildly
My family tradition is tamale dressing
I know some people have oysters in theirs
Myrindyl@reddit
Is the tamale dressing recipe a family secret or are you open to sharing??
QuirkyCookie6@reddit
iirc my grandma found it in a magazine somewhere in thr 80s, but I do not have access to the recipie
Myrindyl@reddit
Well poop. Thanks anyway, I hope you have an awesome Thanksgiving!
QuirkyCookie6@reddit
You too!
I'll check back in if I get access this year
Gatodeluna@reddit
You put tamales in dressing? OMG that sounds good!
QuirkyCookie6@reddit
Yup! Also switch out the bread for cornbread and use enchilada sauce to wet the dressing
Gatodeluna@reddit
Dang that sounds good!
ViolentCaterpillar@reddit
The idea is bountiful food shared with family. People often travel from far away to be with their relatives on Thanksgiving and share in the meal. Ideally there should be enough food to last the whole family for several days worth of leftovers. Traditional foods include turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes. Pie is also a big part of the meal. Multiple pies, if possible. Pumpkin pie is seasonal and often the star of the show, but pecan pie and sweet potato pie are also excellent Thanksgiving choices.
Personally, I never liked turkey, gravy, cranberries, or stuffing, and neither did my sibling. By the time we were teenagers our mom gave up on turkey and made lasagna instead, which we enjoyed a lot more!
TheSheWhoSaidThats@reddit
Some people watch the MST3k Turkey Day Marathon
dystopiadattopia@reddit
Oh, we just overeat and gab. My mom tried one year to get everyone to go around the table and say what we're thankful for, but fortunately everyone shouted down that idea.
Onahsakenra@reddit
Is your dad a Cowboys fan š? Theyāre š© right now lol, but itās tradition for lots of Texans to watch their annual Thanksgiving game. With the time difference being so immense I know itās impossible to watch live but maybe yāall can stream a replay of the parade and football game as background that sounds like home to him? We mostly have it as background as everyone else cooks, talks, and hangs out doing all kinds of other things because itās the being together and sharing the turkey meal that mostly counts. š
NittanyOrange@reddit
Eat Turkey. Watch the Cowboys lose.
rattlehead44@reddit
I usually have to work. Someone always makes a prime rib and we get paid double time and a half.
cavalier78@reddit
Our family gets together. We used to do it at my grandma's house, then she got too old to host it and now we do it at my sister's. We have a fairly large Thanksgiving, probably 20 or 25 people will be there.
My sister cooks the turkey. Everyone else brings a side dish or two, and usually a dessert. Often somebody brings a baked ham as well. So usually every available surface in the kitchen will be filled up with food -- including a few folding tables. Our Thanksgiving is always supposed to start about noon, but it's usually 1:00 or a little later by the time everybody gets there. Also my sister can never time her turkey properly, so we're always waiting on it to finish cooking.
The full spread will be something like this:
20+ lb turkey, with Granny's dressing and cranberry sauce
Ham
Baked beans
Broccoli cheese casserole
Sweet potato casserole
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Dinner rolls
Green bean casserole (not my favorite but somebody keeps making it)
Macaroni and cheese
Deviled eggs
Some kind of green pineapple fluff goop that I've never tried
Multiple pecan pies
Pumpkin roll
Multiple pumpkin pies
Chex mix with chocolate and powdered sugar
Chocolate pudding/mousse thing
Cherry pie
There is enough food to feed 3 African villages for like a year. Then we all eat until we are stuffed, and I fall asleep on the couch for a few hours. When I wake up, half the people are gone. Then I eat more dessert.
Then I go home, and get hungry again about 11:00 at night, but I forgot to bring any leftovers home. And I drive around looking for some fast food place that is still open.
Wermys@reddit
Parents go south for the winter the snowbirds they are. So we get together last week in October. Otherwise just Turkey watch a movie pretty basic.
DOMSdeluise@reddit
Eat a big meal. Watch (NFL) football -- but with the time zones that is probably not an option in Australia. Otherwise for me the holiday is just about getting together with family and enjoying the company. Eating, drinking, conversation. One thing my family likes to do is we go around the table and everyone says one thing they are thankful for. It doesn't have to be serious - I've seen family members give thanks for sports stuff - but it's nice to reflect on that even if ultimately you're like "yeah this year I love soandso's three point accuracy" or something lol.
ScienceNeverLies@reddit
I donāt do anything but sleep all day to prepare for Black Friday! I wake at 1am, pop an adderall and Iām off to the races! I always get what I want.
Iām white and refuse to celebrate thanksgiving. What the colonizers did to the indigenous peoples is horrid. The history behind thanksgiving is dark. I understand that now we do it to celebrate what we are grateful for but I just canāt.
Yes I know celebrating Black Friday and capitalism is hypocritical but when else am I going to take an adderall? Iām not in college anymore
VeronicaMarsupial@reddit
In my family we have to have both apple pie and pumpkin pie. Mashed potatoes with an assortment of toppings (butter, sour cream, ranch dressing, chives, cheese, etc.) for everyone to choose what they like are also popular. Mostly though it's just a cozy family day. My family is not into watching football like a lot of people are. We usually play games.
purplepeopleeater333@reddit
My family has a big meal. We cook it together during the day and sit down in the evening. We set the table with all the best dishes and just enjoy our time as a family. When my grandfather was alive we ate at his house and would have up to 30 family members attend. Now weāre a little smaller group but we still hold a lot of the same traditional foods and say a prayer and say what weāre thankful for.
We eat: turkey, turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing (the BEST!), vegetables - usually green beans, asparagus, or something green ā corn pudding, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter. Occasionally we have wild rice, homemade noodles, and more. For desert we always have a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and often have a cheese cake and some kind of chocolate cake. We drink wine. and play games after dinner. Usually the football game is on.
Itās a wonderful day to spend together as a family.
hotpan96@reddit
My tradition is taking trips