Nostalgic Thanksgiving Ideas to Bring Back the Warm Fuzzies

Thanksgiving traditions are important. Whether those traditions hearken back to the first Thanksgiving or are of a more contemporary origin, they all help us hold fast to our culture and remind us that we have so very much for which to be grateful.

This year, as you plan your Thanksgiving gathering, here are some new twists on nostalgic ideas to inspire a wonderful time filled with lasting memories.

Grill a Turkey

Though less traditional than oven baked, grilled turkey is a delicious option.  Not only does it free up some oven space for other delicious treats, it is also fun share the cooking duties with your favorite “official griller” in the family. Grilled turkey is deliciously tender and so easy to prepare.

Watch the Macy’s Day Parade

It is hard not to feel happy and utterly nostalgic watching the Macy’s Day Parade. No matter where you are, it makes you want to bundle up watch black and white movies and believe in the goodness of humanity. Of course seeing a giant inflatable Captain America float by towering buildings is pretty cool, too.

Attend a Lighting Ceremony

For those fortunate enough to live near a place that turns on it its Christmas lights on Thanksgiving evening, it is a nostalgic event right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. It is a twinkling beginning to the Christmas season where the glittering display represents a million hopes and dreams.

Run a Turkey Trot

One great way to enjoy Thanksgiving is to run a Turkey Trot. Not only do you get to burn off some of those calories, proceeds usually go to a great cause. Whether you run alone or with the entire family, it is a memory worth making.

Watch Football

For some, nothing gets them into the spirit of Thanksgiving  (both past and present) more than getting rowdy over a great football game. Even if you are not a complete football fanatic, you can still get into the thrill of the electric atmosphere while you enjoy great food with close friends and family.

Break Out the Christmas Decorations

Another nostalgia-inspired tradition is using the day to take down fall decoration and put up Christmas displays. While the family is gathered, there is no better time to put up the lights and tree and reminisce over Christmas past.

Write Christmas Cards

With the house filled with family, another popular tradition is to spend a little time writing and addressing Christmas cards to send to family too far away to attend family celebrations.  

However unique they may be, Thanksgiving traditions tie generations together with a common thread of warm memories and gratitude for family and friends. Perhaps that is why we love nostalgic traditions so very much; they reach both back to celebrations past, and forward to include the ones we love.