Ah yes, Thanksgiving. The time of the year when we gather around the table and share a hearty meal with the ones we love. I think it is safe to say that many people across the United States look forward to this day, whether it be just to hang out with family that they have not seen in awhile or to eat some delicious food. The Thanksgiving tradition is one many people hold near and dear to their hearts, including myself. This year, though, my family did not participate in a traditional Thanksgiving like we usually do. We decided to change it up this year and do something a little different.

Some things didn't really change. We still went to my grandmother and grandfather's house, we had the football games on in the background, we played Wii games together and we played a few rounds of pool. All of those were really fun, especially since we don't play games as a group frequently. Some family members even took a long nap after our meal, which is expected. What did change, however, was the food that we ate.

We didn't have the usual Thanksgiving meal. There was no turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, peas or corn. There was almost no mashed potatoes or even pumpkin pie at our Thanksgiving. What we did eat included pasta, salad, meatballs, bread and chicken. Combined with mashed potatoes that my sister and I convinced my mom to make. It was an interesting combination of food, that's for sure.

It was very strange for me to be eating the kinds of food we normally eat during family gatherings. In all honestly, it did not feel like Thanksgiving, but just another family get together, minus all the other people that usually show up for those gatherings. It was an odd experience. When I say odd, I mean it was just different to not have the traditional meal. There is nothing weird about having a non-traditional Thanksgiving, but after having a traditional one all your life, something like this just seems weird.

All and all, it was a lovely Thanksgiving. I loved spending the time with my family, and as always, the food was delcious and I stuffed my face. Having a more non-tradtional holiday wasn't anything eye opening, but it was kind of a cool expereince and calming to not be caught up in the hussle of making all of that food that requires hours of effort and cooking time. Thanksgiving this year was just a calm, but fun day, but I do prefer the traditional Thanksgiving over the non-traditional.