Thanksgiving Traditions: Pass The Turkey Butt!
November 15, 2012Thanksgiving Traditions: Pass The Turkey Butt!
My family has a funny and hopefully not so unique Thanksgiving tradition. I mean, no one wants to think their family is the only one that plays "pass the turkey butt" right? What? Your family doesn't do this? Okay, well here is how this little tradition works in my family: Dad confiscates the butt of the turkey and some how every year he gets inspired to quietly drop it on the plate of an unsuspecting family member while diverting their attention to the opposite direction. "What the heck is that on your shirt?" He will ask. "Darn it, I dropped my fork. Insert name here, can you grab me another one from the drawer?"
I don't know what it is, but some how, everyone in my family develops turkey butt prank amnesia every year and we fall for the promised joke each time! We get sucked in and whoever gets the turkey butt is entitled to prank another family member with that same butt until its made its way around the dinner table. That is almost grounds for becoming a vegetarian!
Of course, passing the turkey butt is just one family tradition that stands out in my mind. We are a little more normal than I have let on so far! We celebrate the holiday with all of the traditional fixings and a few family recipes that have been the gold standard in our holiday celebrations for years. We replay old holiday movies, some of us watch a little football, and we share family memories.
But I have been wondering...what other family traditions are out there? I have asked friends to share some of their traditions and have done a little research of my own. Here are a few Thanksgiving traditions you may like:
1. The grateful/thankful tree. This is a fun idea that you can do in a couple of ways. You can make your own tree with fall colored craft paper, cut out leaves and have each guest write on the leaf what they are thankful for and attach the leaves to the tree. Some families incorporate this tradition by putting up their Christmas tree Thanksgiving day and have the guests decorate the tree with leaves filled with their favorite memories or thankful moments.
2. Tablecloth memories. Making memories that last is priceless! After your meal is finished, bring out a light colored tablecloth and a package of fabric pens. Ask your guests and family members to take turns sharing a message or memory on the tablecloth. This is a tradition that can be cherished year after year as more memories are added and shared over and over again.
3. Scrapbook memories. Keep a scrapbook out during your celebration and invite your families and friends to write three things that they love about Thanksgiving or three things they love about their family and friends. Each guest can come and record their thoughts through out the day. Another take on this tradition: Have photos from celebrations the years before and leave room for your guests to make comments near the photos.
4. Guess who? After the Thanksgiving food fest, have a little more fun by asking everyone to write down on a piece of paper something they are thankful for or a favorite memory. Put the folded slips of paper in a basket, toss the messages, have each guest select a message and read it aloud. Once the message is read, you can all try to guess who wrote the message.
5. Message in a crescent roll. This is one tradition that kids of all ages will surely remember for years to come. Simply purchase a couple of packages of crescent roll dough at your local market. Lay the triangles of dough out and place a slip of paper with an inspiring message on it and loosely roll the message up in the dough and bake as directed. This makes for some great dinner table conversation!
What are some of your family Thanksgiving traditions?
-Photo courtesy of clonedmilkmen
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tammy J. Colter is an OH staff writer and has proudly served the ObesityHelp community since 1999, helping members and professionals alike. Tammy wears many hats at ObesityHelp, she works as an author, editor, and account manager. Read more articles by Tammy! |
