Thanksgiving Traditions!!!!

[summer_gphib]

We have our big family dinner then my extended family on my mom's side all rent rooms at a local hotel (about 7 or more rooms) Everyone brings their left overs and pull all of the tables out of their rooms and we play poker all night in the little meeting area. We've been doing this since I was 4 or 5, and it's a lot of fun. We play in the indoor pool all night too. All in all there are about 20 or so people.

But we are staying here this year for Thanksgiving. So we are starting a tradition of our own and going camping. *LOL*

[GeekyPenguin]

Church with my boyfriend's family (apparently most churches have Thanksgiving services, who knew?) and then stuffing our faces at two different houses and playing board games.

[Starofsorrow]

I tend to go out to Marie Callendar's with my mom, brother, and grandmother, and maybe a couple friends.

This year might be a bit different, though. I'm talking with my future roommate about us meeting each other's families for thanksgivings! I bet if that happens, we're gonna be SO FULL.

[DolphinChicaDDD]

in the grand tradition of my procrastinating family, both my mom and aunt have bought turkeys but neither has taken responsibility for hosting thanksgiving.

all the "kids" in my family have grown up, with my youngest cousin being 22 so traditions have changed much since we were kids. if my cousins/brother actually come around, i believe we will have the kids table again. about 2 years ago when my grandmother's alzheimer's started getting bad, we resurrected the kids table. which quickly turned into a drinking game and "i bet you won't" table. longest talked about bet: when i bet my brother he wouldn't drink the gravy boat for a dollar. he did. last year, we welcomed my cousin's husband to the table...but not her. as a child, she shunned us for the adult's table. and now she is stuck there. but bless her heart, she let her husband join the kids tables.

[scbelle]

Originally Posted by DolphinChicaDDD

in the grand tradition of my procrastinating family, both my mom and aunt have bought turkeys but neither has taken responsibility for hosting thanksgiving.

all the "kids" in my family have grown up, with my youngest cousin being 22 so traditions have changed much since we were kids. if my cousins/brother actually come around, i believe we will have the kids table again. about 2 years ago when my grandmother's alzheimer's started getting bad, we resurrected the kids table. which quickly turned into a drinking game and "i bet you won't" table. longest talked about bet: when i bet my brother he wouldn't drink the gravy boat for a dollar. he did. last year, we welcomed my cousin's husband to the table...but not her. as a child, she shunned us for the adult's table. and now she is stuck there. but bless her heart, she let her husband join the kids tables.

you could so make that into a movie... sounds like boatloads of fun!

[navane]

My immediate family usually gathers at my grandfather's house early in the morning to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade together. My dad cooks the turkey every year and he's expert at it! Since my grandmother passed 7 years ago, I am the one who carries on the tradition of fixing the Polish side dishes (three dishes: one beets with onions, one cucumbers with sour cream, and one herring with sour cream). My sister is a professional chef and she usually has to work during the holidays. If she's there, she'll jump in and fix the regular side dishes.

Then, my dad and grandpa fall asleep.

.....Kelly

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by DolphinChicaDDD

all the "kids" in my family have grown up, with my youngest cousin being 22 so traditions have changed much since we were kids. if my cousins/brother actually come around, i believe we will have the kids table again. about 2 years ago when my grandmother's alzheimer's started getting bad, we resurrected the kids table. which quickly turned into a drinking game and "i bet you won't" table. longest talked about bet: when i bet my brother he wouldn't drink the gravy boat for a dollar. he did. last year, we welcomed my cousin's husband to the table...but not her. as a child, she shunned us for the adult's table. and now she is stuck there. but bless her heart, she let her husband join the kids tables.

Your Family sounds like a lot more fun than mine!

We usually alternate years between my husband's family and my family, however this year my parents decided to fly to Seattle to visit my sister for Thanksgiving, so we are going to my in-laws again. My mother-in-law uses Velveeta any time a recipe calls for cheese, Cool-Whip any time it calls for Whipped Cream, Margarine for butter, and a packet of powdered "brown" gravy instead of making gravy from the drippings. I even offered to make gravy last year, but she told me that I was a guest and didn't need to do anything. I think I'll pack snacks and horde them in the guest room for when I get hungry.

[deadbear80]

Thanksgiving used to involve 50-60 people at my house (my Mom is one of 7 kids) and it was easier to invite everyone's in-laws to our house so everyone could be together (since the 'in-laws' usually involved like...10-15 people). We also have had family friends join us. But then my great-aunt and great-uncle and their family broke off...then one aunt & uncle moved to New Mexico and another aunt & uncle to Florida. And some of the 'in-laws' have broken off as well. I think my Mom said there are only 29 of us this year--all family and 'in-law', no family friends.

But since there are so many people, and since my great-aunt and great-uncle own a catering company--we've had catered Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. It's my great-aunt's recipes anyway--so it's not like the food isn't good. My Mom still makes applesauce, a strawberry-rhubarb jello mold, corn bread muffins, and pumpkin pie. And this year she's told me that most of that will be my responsibility--plus making my special margarita pie and brownies. Most of it we'll cook on Wednesday--but Mom always gets up at 6 AM on Thursday morning to make the pumpkin pie fresh.

We've also started a new tradition the past couple of years--celebrating Hanukkah on Thanksgiving. There are 10 of us cousins and since we're all grown (except one who is almost 11--the 3 oldest after him are all seniors in high school) no one is around for the Winter anymore. Since my cousins and I are 'no fun' (meaning--we all just ask for money) my Mom and her siblings used to go all out for each other--but it has turned into a mess...and really complicated Thanksgiving in many ways. So supposedly, this year, it's just my cousins and I getting stuff. I'm the oldest and somehow no one ever listens when I ask for money (which is funny--since I'm the one who needs it most since I'll be paying off grad-school loans really soon!) so we'll see what happens. Last year, some people did...and one Aunt got me the most unnecessary gift ever--the first gift I've EVER returned for the cash...so I told my Mom she really needs to be explicit with people this year. Not to say I'm a money grubber--but my other cousins just spend their money on beer and college fun or whatever high school kids spent it on these days (up until May I was the only one who had graduated from college yet--although 2 just did)--and I'm the one who uses the money to pay for stuff for my cat and my apartment.

[aephi alum]

My family is pretty small. When I was growing up, it was pretty much just me, my parents, and my grandfather. We'd have turkey breast, stuffing, cranberry sauce (if my mom remembered to prepare it - she forgot half the time), and some type of veggie. My birthday is around Thanksgiving, so dessert was always an ice cream cake.

Nowadays, my husband and I live not far from my parents and in-laws, so we visit both sets of parents over the course of the long weekend. This year, we're going to my parents' for Turkey Day, and they're doing the turkey breast, stuffing, etc. that they've always made. On Saturday we'll visit my in-laws.

My mother still serves ice cream cake for dessert. The only difference is that the cake also has my husband's name on it; his birthday is a few days after mine. *sigh*

[Eirbear]

My family usually goes up to Michigan and we stay with one of my two aunts who are up there. If it's a "big year" (when my two cousins and their families come back...they alternate years between our family and their wives' families), then we stay at my Aunt Anne's house. If it's a "small year" (when it's just the normal crew...my aunts, my uncle, my immediate family, and my grandparents), then we stay at my Aunt Margie's house. No matter the size, though, every year is crazy. Just because that's my family. But it's lots of fun too. We watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, we spend the whole day cooking the turkey (so the house smells AMAZING), we goof around a lot, and then we completely engorge ourselves in the great food. I look forward to my Aunt Anne's corn pudding the most.

[Emory Kappa]

But the real question is... stuffing or dressing? Bread or cornbread?

Make mine cornbread dressing. MMmmm!

(My mother in law makes stuffing with saltines, which really tastes much better than it sounds. Very Yankee of her!)

[bluefish81]

Traditionally, my family has always gone to my grandma's house (dad's mom) for Thanksgiving along with between 30 - 60 of the relatives depending on who can make it - my dad is one of 12 kids. However, this year, my Aunt Mary is hosting Thanksgiving since my grandmother passed away this summer.

There's always too much food, however, it's fantastic food. My Aunt Mary will make the turkey and the ham, and probably the mashed potatoes and that will probably be it. Everyone else will bring everything else. My mom always has to bring the green bean casserole and she's so sick of bringing it, but people tell her that she can't not bring it.

[Tom Earp]

While I have no family any more, I end up at Bookems, my best friend.

He has to work being a Police Officer and I work 1/2 Day for My customers.

His wife Debbie is a cooking fool! God Bless Her! She fixes enough for 20 people with 6-7 or less, The Good Guy takes home left overs!

But it used to be that When My Aunt took it over, there of course was The Turkey and all of the fixins, there was "Red Salmomon" salad. It was A Family Tradition for good luck. It was fantastic and pricey.

Being Poor, it was, well, it was something special.

But, anytime that Family can get together it is special.

Carnation is so Blessed because she has such an extened family then it is even much more special!

[MooseGirl]

My Thanksgiving was last month (crazy Canadians)...I skipped going to my aunt's (dad's family) or my grandma's (mom's side) and went to Chicago to dance.

Despite this, I still made pumpkin pie from scratch. I think this is my new tradition, since I only made pie for the first time last year. This year was fun though since I went over a friend's house to bake my pies and he later had thanksgiving for all our friends (when I was in Chicago). It was nice being able to participate in the potluck even if I wasn't there.

[ragtimerose]

I can understand the Cool Whip, but Velveeta? Ugh!