Below are some of our Thanksgiving memories. Take time to share some of your favorite holiday reminiscences over your Thanksgiving table.
We had thanksgiving every year with my mom’s dad. Her mom and my dad’s parents had passed away by the time I came along. My grandpa was old, and he kept the heat on all the time, usually somewhere between 80 and 82 degrees. That would be called child abuse today, I imagine! From the day we were born, my brothers and I got to drink beer on Thanksgiving and Christmas. (My grandpa was German.) He had these tall beer glasses, and I can remember watching the bubbles go up in glass after glass. I love that memory for some reason. I also remember putting an olive on every finger, ten for me and ten for each of my brothers. My mom finally caught on and started bringing extra cans of olives so the adults could have some too! —Jim, Salem, Ohio
My husband and I had our first Thanksgiving at an older friend’s house. Everyone’s from somewhere else in this town, and we didn’t have any vacation time saved up yet to go home. The family we spent that first Thanksgiving with had a tradition we’ve carried on ever since: each of them mentioned something they were thankful for. Very simple, but it’s led to some nice discussions and memories. I’m surprised every year by what at least one person is thankful for. You think you know someone, then Thanksgiving rolls around…! Carrie, Colorado Springs, CO
As a young bride, I was eager that everything would be just right for the first family Thanksgiving I would host in our home. I was up early in the morning preparing homemade cranberry chutney, stuffing, and pecan pies. I thought that by working hard in the morning, I would have a leisurely afternoon to enjoy with our visiting family. Soon, all that remained was to cook my very first Thanksgiving turkey. Turkeys being on sale, I had purchased a 22 pound bird, reasoning that bigger must be better. I hadn’t anticipated that it would take hours to roast such a large bird. Though all of our side dishes were ready hours in advance, we didn’t sit down to our Thanksgiving meal until well after 7:00 p.m., when the turkey was, at last, fully cooked. As my brother-in-law began the honors of carving the turkey, he came upon an unexpected surprise – inside the turkey cavity were the neck and giblets, still packaged. I turned several shades of red, my turkey cooking inexperience exposed even further before my hungry family! Elizabeth, Union City, IN