Throughout the past two weeks, I have interviewed students and faculty around campus to highlight different traditions. However, I found that most of us have very similar Thanksgiving days that include family time, turkey time, and most importantly, time to be thankful and reflect on what we are grateful for. Although this is great, this may be the year that you may get sick of the traditions you have been doing for your entire life, so below is a list of 4 things that you can try this year to do something new!
- Make thankful placemats
If you are celebrating with your extended family, try making thankful placemats. To start, take a piece of paper and write a family member’s name. Throughout the day, pass each one out and circulate them around the family. Make sure that everyone writes about what they are grateful for on each other’s mats. At the dinner table, take turns reading the placemats out loud. This is a great way to express gratitude for each member of the family in a meaningful and personal way.
- Visit the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade
Held annually on Thanksgiving Day, the Macy’s parade is the second-oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in America (started in 1924). Starting on West 77th Street and Central Park West and ending at Macy’s, the parade stretches over 2.5 miles and is filled with colorful floats, creative balloons and amazing dances. Although you may have to wake up a bit earlier to get a good view, it is worth it, especially to see Santa at the end, marking the start of the winter holidays.
- Visit the Christmas markets
A perfect way to spend a day, as well as a way to get ahead on holiday shopping, is to visit the holiday markets! The Columbus Circle, Union Square and Bryant Park ones are open, but they may be crowded. To avoid this, visit them either in the morning or go to a less popular one like the Williamsburg market. If you want to stay warm, visit the market inside Grand Central Station.
- Play games
Sitting around and watching TV may be comforting, but it becomes repetitive and unproductive, particularly with family members. One way to connect with them without having to talk a lot is to play fun games. I highly recommend all types of card games, as they are perfect for all ages. Go fish is perfect if you have any younger kids, poker for any competitive members, or gin rummy if you want to relax. Also, board games are a perfect way to include all of your family members. I recommend Monopoly if you are in for the long haul, chess if you want to challenge yourself, or Risk if you are into strategic domination. Finally, any games that include acting (like charades) or mindmelding (like wavelength) are perfect for an easy laugh and a satisfying conclusion to Thanksgiving festivities.
If you already practice these things, try to do something else new this Thanksgiving! Who knows, it may become a tradition in your family for the rest of your life! Happy Holidays.
