Thanksgiving Traditions: Nine Ideas for Families

One of the highlights of the year in our family happens each November in an unlikely place: the bowling alley.

Years ago, my in-laws started a tradition of getting together Thanksgiving morning amid arcade games and greasy
fries to bowl a few games. This Thanksgiving tradition has become a defining event in our family. Each year, more
families join us and we sit back and marvel at how our web of family and friends continues to compound each year.

Celebrate families and togetherness this Thanksgiving Day with some time-honored traditions, which give us a
sense of family identity and meaningfulness that can last for generations. Here are nine ideas for starting new
family traditions - and for revering the old ones:

1. Sit down with your family and reminisce about your childhood celebrations. What do you remember most about
Thanksgiving and the days that follow? Thanksgiving traditions can be much more than just food and recipes. In
what ways did your childhood traditions symbolize particular values, such as abundance, generosity, the importance of family?
What would you like to do that's the same? What would you do like to do differently?

2. Make a small booklet or a mini scrapbook album (which you can either make or purchase.) Write "Five Things
I Love About My Family and Friends" and keep it out on the table during your Thanksgiving celebration. Each guest
can come and record thoughts and insights. Other themes to try: "Five Things I'm Thankful For" or "Five Wishes
for my Family and Friends." An even simpler approach would be to put one sheet of cardstock out for each year - and
combine them together over the years in a Thanksgiving Gratitude Scrapbook.

3. Keep a Family Gratitude Journal through the year. Each night, a family member can share something that they are
grateful for. Share the highlights of this family tradition at the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day.

4. Make a Gratitude Circle. Before the Thanksgiving meal, everyone stands and holds hands in a circle. Guests
each take a turn sharing what they are grateful for. Or - if your guests are on the shy side - ask everyone to
write down their blessings on a piece of paper, which you can read before or after dinner.

5. Designate a particular tablecloth for your family Thanksgiving celebrations. Provide fabric markers where
guests can record their "gratitudes" or special prayers for the year ahead. Ask your guests to sign and date
each message, as you'll be using the same tablecloth year after year.

6. Involve the entire family in Thanksgiving decorations. Family Fun magazine posts lots of creative ideas for
the entire family here: http://familyfun.go.com

7. Make a hostess gift for the person who is cooking this year. Purchase an apron or a t-shirt or a gift album
with sentiments of thanks from each guest. Present the gift after dinner.

8. Show your gratitude to an unsung hero. Get together with your family and decide on a person or a group in your
community who could use an extra pat on the back, ie. firefighters, soldiers, police officers, volunteers. Put
together a special plate of goodies and deliver it (or pack it up for shipping) as a family.

9. Preserve your traditions. After the meal, record everyone's favorite activities. Appoint one person to be
the scribe - or ask everyone to jot down a few thoughts. And don't forget to take lots of photos. It's fun to
place disposable cameras throughout the house so everyone can capture bits of the action.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com, where she hand-picks only the very best online coupons and products, including online coupons for children's clothes

Vintage Thanksgiving Decorations and Collectibles

Thanksgiving is an occasion everybody looks forward to. It is a special event when families reunite and friends get together for a meal representative of thankfulness for all the blessings that have come the whole year round. Comparatively, Thanksgiving does not tend to the same level of decorating as Halloween or Christmas, holidays for which decorating has become so much a part of the celebration, but there are still wonderful Thanksgiving decorations to make your home more festive. And some of my favorite decorations are Thanksgiving vintage collectibles.

Most Thanksgiving collectibles tend to revolve around the foods we eat during the season, whether used as images on paper items such as Thanksgiving postcards or decorating food serving items such as trays and dishes. Pumpkins, corn and of course, turkeys are on top of the list.

The popularity of these collectibles is prompted by historic reasons. Originally, Thanksgiving Day is an occasion to symbolize the thankfulness of early American settlers for a bountiful harvest season. Through the years, the occasion has evolved and has become more symbolic in nature. Now, people gather in Thanksgiving to express thankfulness for all the blessings and good tidings accumulated in the past year.

Because the celebration of Thanksgiving revolves around the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, items that symbolize that meal gathering have become the objects that symbolize the occasion. Among the popular collectibles are Thanksgiving mementos made of paper, fabric, and wax; such as cards, tablecloths, and candles. You would also notice that Thanksgiving collectibles are mostly display and dinner pieces, usually ceramic or porcelain. These are collectibles that serve a functional, as well as decorative purpose, especially items like dinner plates, bowls, casseroles, platters, gravy boats and salt and pepper shakers.

In the 1800s and throughout the 20th century, manufacturers have produced Thanksgiving decorations. Most of the vintage items are still very much functional today, though some collectors may prefer to keep them for display purposes only so they'll be protected from any mishaps. I would hate to spill gravy or wine all over a vintage tablecloth.

Some other popular vintage Thanksgiving collectibles available are soap and food molds. As usual, these items are usable and can be very helpful in making food presentations during the Thanksgiving meal more appropriate, lively and decorative. Vintage candy containers are also readily available online at sites like Ebay. There are many fun turkey-shaped candy containers manufactured during the first half of the 20th century that can add to the Thanksgiving atmosphere.

If you enjoy decorating your Thanksgiving table, be sure to check out some of the vintage Thanksgiving decorations available, including some very cute Turkey Candy Containers.

Emma Martin collects vintage decor, especially Halloween and Christmas collectibles. You'll find more great vintage holiday items at her website: http://www.retroholiday.com

Travelling at Thanksgiving - Have a Plan

You only have to be at any transport hub at Thanksgiving to know that it is one of the most popular times to travel. Use these tips to help put a successful Thanksgiving travel plan in place.

Step 1:
Make sure that your house is ready. As long as you're away from home during Thanksgiving, be sure that your home is suitably cared for. Have trusted friends stop by and check on the house every few days. Arrange for pets to be looked after too. If possible, put your lights on automatic timers so they go on and off automatically. To give the illusion that someone is home you might want to have a friend or neighbor pull their car into your driveway. Switch off anything electrical too.

Step 2:
Get your luggage ready. Have everything that you'll need with you to ensure you enjoy. Pack adequate clothing, but don't overdo it; consider the climate for the destination of your Thanksgiving trip. Don't forget any photos that you have been wanting to share with people all year!

Step 3:
If you're driving, get directions or get a GPS! And remember to take the phone numbers of important people so that you can get in touch with them in case something happens. Bring something to pass the time for yourself (or the kids). Thanksgiving travel can be tedious, especially for kids. Have lots to do - get a load of books, hand-held computer games and or iPod in the bring-on bag. Kids can sleep during the trip if you do your travelling at night. This way you will have a more peaceful drive to your Thanksgiving destination.

Step 4:
Allow some additional time to travel. You can't really know what the traffic will be like, so leave a little earlier. You don't want to miss out on turkey!

Step 5:
Stay calm. Your nerves will likely be on edge due to the larger numbers of people in traffic or airports at Thanksgiving. Everyone is just trying to get to their families, the same as you. Have some patience and remind yourself that you will get there in the end. This is not going to happen over night, it may take some time for you to reach your goals, but you will get there. Taking things to nibble on and play with will help pass the time. You will be with your family for Thanksgiving before you realize it!

Tiffany Provost writes about travel planning and other traveling tips for HowToDoThings.com.

Best Tips For Booking Thanksgiving Holidays

Holiday traveling can be an extremely busy activity. This is no exception, even at Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving is the busiest travel time of the year there are more crowds of people, longer lines, and other issues that you have to deal with. Even if you can't avoid travelling over Thanksgiving, you can be clever when reserving your travel. Following are some vacation ideas to ensure your Thanksgiving holiday is very enjoyable.

Step 1:
Make your arrangements as soon as possible. You won't be surprised to hear that Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel times of the year. Due to the current recession, there are fewer Thanksgiving flights available and the cost of each rises daily. Once you've made the decision to travel at Thanksgiving time don't delay - reserve your flights as soon as possible. You can't underestimate the value of reserving your Thanksgiving flights a few months ahead of time. Similarly, confirm a place for a bus trip, renting a car, or a room at a hotel early!

Step 2:
Flexibility. You must be prepared to make changes to your plans. The more flexible you are on your departure and arrival dates for your Thanksgiving holidays, the better the deal you will get. If your schedule permits, you should try to travel a few days before or a few days after Thanksgiving, which is usually less crowded and stressful. A great benefit of reserving your Thanksgiving flight early is it will likely cost much less because you won't be traveling during peak travel days.

Step 3:
Be the earlybird. The best thing to do is try to depart within plenty of time. If you have to fly around Thanksgiving, it is best to choose an early flight. You may be able to avoid delays. You can give up a little sleep and rest assured of arriving on time to your destination.

Step 4:
Night flights. A good option is to try to fly during night time hours. If you have to travel with kids then flying during Thanksgiving might be even more stressful. However, there are ways you can keep your kids occupied if you happen to be flying at night. Let the kids stay in their PJ's so they can sleep while you drive to the airport. You can relax on your flight because you won't be bombarded with "are we there yet?" from your kids. Try to reserve your Thanksgiving flight as late in the day as you can so that you and your kids will have a better experience.

Step 5:
Accommodation. People's homes can get quite crowded over the holidays, so you might want to consider finding a hotel over Thanksgiving. You will love having your own space and being able to do whatever you want while away from home. Be sure to make your room reservations for Thanksgiving early to keep from having to stay with a relative.

Tiffany Provost writes about travel planning and other traveling tips for HowToDoThings.com