Thanksgiving Traditions

For many of us, Thanksgiving offers no gifts or events, less hustle and bustle, and lots of time together with our loved ones, delicious food, and grateful hearts. With this downtime typically comes every family’s unique traditions. We’ve asked our employees here at Teslar to share some of their favorite Thanksgiving traditions they look forward to each year and now we’re sharing them with you! With their help, we’ve compiled a list of fun Thanksgiving traditions you can adopt in your own family.

“My mom’s second oldest sister brings a secret craft every year for all of us make and take. We’ve made picture frames, gift tags, beaded ornaments, glass ball ornaments with melted crayons inside, gingerbread houses, mini baskets, origami stars and birds, make-up bags, beaded bracelets, and so much more. We look forward to it every year.” Rachael Carter - Account Manager

Family Pictures 📷

"My family always takes family photos at Thanksgiving. It's the one time of year that we're all together and nicely dressed, so we take several group photos, couple and family photos. We sometimes even include the pets! 🐕🐈 We will stage an area ahead of time (outside if the weather is nice) with a chair or couch, maybe a cute chalkboard sign with a saying or a hand crafted fall themed item that someone brought over. I have photos from many many years of Thanksgiving celebrations and they are something that I will cherish forever." Courtney Martin - Director of Marketing

Whether it’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, football games, dog shows, or a massive list of Thanksgiving-themed episodes of your favorite sitcoms, there’s no shortage of TV to binge on Thanksgiving Day. "One thing that always finds its way into our day is a good Thanksgiving nap. We all lay around the living room—some in chairs or the couch, some on pallets in the floor. While we’re all cozy and chill, we like to watch Thanksgiving-themed TV shows or a movie while we all drift in and out of sleep.” Bethany Wood - Marketing Intern

Passed Down Recipes 🍞

One family’s way of remembering a loved one who has passed on is to make her favorite dish every year for Thanksgiving. “Growing up, all of us kids devoured Grandma’s macaroni and cheese, leaving none behind. After she passed, I started making her recipe to keep the memory alive.” 

Family Games 🃏

Many families play board games or video games together on Thanksgiving, or even football. One staff member mentioned that his family plays poker together every year. One family shared, “as kids, we would always play hide-and-seek. As we got older, our hiding spots got more intense-- we would hide in the trunks of our cars, in the dryer, or under a roll-top desk. It would take hours.” Bethany Wood - Marketing Intern

Black Friday Shopping 🛍️

Christmas Decorating 🎄

"Some like to decorate for Christmas well before Thanksgiving, but my family has a tradition of decorating as a family on Thanksgiving day. At 12:00 noon on Thanksgiving, my grandma would pull out her record player and start playing Christmas records. Then we would all decorate the tree together.” Rachael Carter - Account Manager

Family Bake-Off 🍪

What would family time be without a little bit of friendly competition? Whether it’s a relay race, a series of minute-to-win-it games, or a good old-fashioned bake-off. Put your cooking skills to the test. Assign judges and even a host, or let all members be involved and have everyone vote for their favorite. Be as specific as you want-- a Dutch-oven contest, pie baking, desserts, or even all categories of Thanksgiving fare.

We’d love to hear which traditions you most enjoy at your own family’s gathering. Let us know in the comments below!