As Thanksgiving is currently a week away, I can't help but reflect on my past Thanksgivings for me and my family, and the beautiful traditions we have developed over the years and countless Thanksgivings shared between one another. As I get older and older and come into contact with more and more people, I realize that a holiday can look so different for so many different families, because everyone has such an unique and personalized experience that they enjoy sharing amongst their families every year.

For me, my Thanksgiving looks a lot different than a "typical" American Thanksgiving. My family, after we eat our Thanksgiving meal, goes immediately into Christmas mode. Thanksgiving night is the time when I put on my Spotify Christmas playlist, get our Christmas tree from our downstairs basement, put on cheesy Christmas movies from Netflix, put up our lights outside, and put up all of the little decorations in our home that make the holiday season feel so magical.

Having this tradition gives me something extra to look forward to every year. This tradition of basically engaging in two Christmas's every year for me and my family is a big part of why Thanksgiving is such a special time, and these traditions help to make me get extra excited for the holiday season.

A big part of the holidays are spending time with those you love, whether that be with family or friends or somewhere in between. I love my family, but my schedule doesn't always give me the time I wish I had to engage with them so regularly and to the extent that I wish I always could. The holidays are set-aside time when we can come together and just appreciate one another's company. Traditions are a big part of what makes that time so engaging, and I know fromexperiencing so many different people that I have met that although each individual tradition per family is different, traditions are alive within most families.

A tradition can be something religious, a certain dish that you always eat for that specific holiday, a cultural tradition, even when you choose to put up your Christmas decorations, traditions are wide and can be anything that a specific family or group holds close to their heart, anything that makes you feel and think of home.

All I do know is that traditions bring me closer to my family, and I hope that your traditions with those you love can do that for you too.