Thanksgiving is just around the corner. The holiday shopping “to do” list gets longer every day.  Nationwide, families are getting ready to host relatives and friends for a holiday that centers on expressing gratitude and sharing a traditional meal and family traditions.  How do you pass down your holiday traditions?

A long list of ingredients and specialty items are needed in order to get ready for the Thanksgiving meal. Planning ahead is paramount in order to get all the baking and cooking of those precious “family favorites” done in a timely fashion.  Some people will be using treasured family recipes that have been handed down from one generation to the next.

What are your special Thanksgiving holiday traditions? Do you bake apple, pecan, or pumpkin pies for the crowd? Will you be setting the table with pressed linens and the holiday decor that your mother or grandmother passed down to you?  Will you donate Turkeys to a local food pantry or serve Thanksgiving dinners to those who are less fortunate than you?

Many families cherish that special “stuffing” recipe that remains a secret among those family members who grandma entrusted with her special recipe. Some families will make their own homemade cranberry sauce to serve as a condiment, while others prefer to eat the canned jelly type as their traditional choice.  Who gets the great honor of sitting at the head of the dining table and carving the Turkey?

Will you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade all bundled up on the streets of New York City or will you watch it on TV with your grandchildren? Will you watch any (or all) of the football games played during Thanksgiving Day? Will you play a favorite game together as a family after your meal is over or does everyone take a walk to work off those extra calories? Is your Ping-Pong Table dusted off and for some fun family rivalry?

Football is another favorite Thanksgiving tradition often played with a gang of neighbors and childhood friends. Many football games include multiple generations that have gathered early Thanksgiving morning each year, encouraged and egged on by a crowd of cheering grandparents and youngsters from the sidelines.

Thanksgiving is a day seeped in family traditions. Think about what your holiday traditions are and take some time to share why they are meaningful to you to the next generation. Eventually, they will want to know what the recipe is for making grandma’s pie.

Remembering, preparing for, and partaking in these annual holiday traditions are important to all the generations. Traditions keep memories alive of holidays spent with those that have gone before us. Pass them on.