What will be on your Thanksgiving table this year? Do you have the typical turkey dinner, or do you break away from the expected for your own unique traditional meal? I know a family that does not care for turkey, so they have seafood on Thanksgiving, or a young family that gets a special pizza for Thanksgiving dinner every year. Sometimes “easy ” is a great choice so that you can just enjoy relaxed time together. As a matter of fact, that is one of the things I love about Thanksgiving. It is a much less stressful holiday than most, just gathering family and friends over a groaning table and giving thanks for each other and our lives. And, well… football.

Whether it is seafood or turkey, I think most family gatherings include a few of their own traditional “must haves.” Things like Aunt Janie’s sweet potato casserole, mom’s fruit salad or Kara’s flaky pies. Traditions bind us together, but they also need to flex as families grow and change. We are breaking away from some old extended family traditions this year to build some new ones with our immediate family. Our big extended family has always had Thanksgiving dinner at my brother and SIL’s lovely, welcoming home. But as all of our kid’s grew up and have kids of their own, it has become a bit unwieldy to have that many people for a sit-down dinner in one home. We are talking up to 30 people. It is a lot of crazy fun, but it is, well…. alot. It was time to flex with the changes.

Another reason that we are changing up the holiday traditions is that my mom passed away almost two years ago and with her went some of the steam out of our extended family dinners. What is it about the matriarch of the family that is the glue that holds it together? I still miss her every day, but I am so thankful for having had her in my life for so many years. She loved holidays and created so many of the family traditions that we still carry with us. But as our family grows, with loved ones departing and new babies joining, we morph our lives. The next generation is ready to begin traditions of their own, so we pass the tradition baton, gratefully, on to them.

This year our immediate family is gathering to build on old traditions and create some new ones. My DIL and son #2 have generously offered to host Thanksgiving dinner at their lovely home. (You know your kids are adults when they host a holiday dinner.) There is something cozy and inclusive about traditions. About the term, “we always…” So, this year, as we gather at my son and DIL’s home for Thanksgiving dinner, we will be carrying over some of our “always” side dishes, but we are also blending in some other foods and ways of celebrating that will become the new traditions for our children and grandchildren. One thing is for sure, as you can see by the below menu, there will be no shortage of food! And there will be football.

Any traditional “must haves” that will be weighing down your Thanksgiving table this year? Or maybe you have something very special that you are thankful for this year. One of the things I am especially grateful for this Thanksgiving are those of you that take your precious time to read this blog. So, wherever you are or how you celebrate, thank YOU and may you have a blessed, relaxing Thanksgiving with those you love.