Seven Ways To Celebrate The Thanksgiving Season
Start writing a post
Featured

Seven Ways To Celebrate The Thanksgiving Season

Some inspiration to stay in a holiday spirit after spooky season and before the holidays start November 26

1389
Seven Ways To Celebrate The Thanksgiving Season

Halloween has come and gone, so now it is time for the holidays, right? Wrong. I love Christmas more than anyone, but the immediate jump from Halloween to the Winter holidays is one of the most divisive issues of the year, and the debate obliterates Thanksgiving in its wake. I don't even blame the winter fanatics because it is easy to want to keep the ball rolling and jump straight to the next one after being so excited for one seasonal holiday. And, with no music or traditions before the actual day of Thanksgiving, it is a difficult holiday to create that same energy for. Luckily, I have compiled seven ways to celebrate the four weeks between spooky season and Christmas time with the same fever, so Thanksgiving can really shine this year. Now get out there and celebrate the season of giving!

1. Make a Thanksgiving playlist

Odyssey

The first thing you notice, other than the aggressively early in-store displays, is the entrance of Christmas music into radios, ads and speakers. Thanksgiving, unfortunately, lacks any specific festive songs, but that does not mean we cannot make our own playlists. Cue up Spotify (or Apple Music if you have poor taste) and get started on your own Thanksgiving holiday playlist to listen to and get in the mood. My recommendations include "Coming Home" (Leon Bridges), "Harvest Moon" (Neil Young) and "I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For" (Bing Crosby).

2. Bake

Photo by American Heritage Chocolate on Unsplash

Dessert is always a good idea, and Thanksgiving has plenty of them. Practice some pie recipes with people you love, or get together and decorate little turkey-shaped cookies. You can even create your own recipes, and as it gets colder outside, a nice, warm afternoon of baking is the perfect way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit.

3. Make hand turkeys

www.flickr.com

Yes, this is a classic for kindergartners, but it could be fun for any age. Dip your hand in paint and put it on paper, or even trace the outline of your hand to get the turkey shape. Then, color and draw until you have a finished product you enjoy. Imagine doing this with your friends and laughing at one another's poor renditions of a turkey. Bonus: let no one look up what a turkey actually looks like, and then google it together at the end for accuracy.

4. Decorate the house

pumpkin on black metal framePhoto by Mark Teachey on Unsplash

Decorations are the perfect and inexpensive way to get into the Thanksgiving mood. Simply combine appropriate Halloween and Christmas decorations for the perfect Thanksgiving vibe. Turn the jack-o-lanterns around, so they are pumpkins, put out little undecorated Christmas tree decor for the woodsy vibe, or even go out and purchase some cute fall decor. Don't forget to hang up your turkeys too!

5. Hike

person walking on pathwayPhoto by agung permana on Unsplash

Hiking allows you to get out in nature before it gets too cold, and you can get into the spirit with the beautiful fall foliage you'll see. A nice, sunny, brisk day in the woods screams Thanksgiving vibes, and when you get back you can enjoy a nice warm cup of cider or a fresh slice of pie.

6. Have a Thanksgiving movie night

Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash

Halloween and Christmas movies are amazing, so why not have a Thanksgiving movie night too? Watch Charlie Brown Thanksgiving specials, "Friendsgiving," or any other film that includes the holiday to help you get excited. If you're stuck, you can also just Google additional Thanksgiving movies (there is a surprising amount).

7. Start a thankfulness jar

clear glass jar on brown wooden tablePhoto by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Yes, this is cheesy, but its a good way to reflect on your life and start a good tradition for your family. Sit down one afternoon and fill a jar with your family full of everything you are grateful for this year. On Thanksgiving, everyone can take turns pulling gratitudes and reading them together (and it saves you the awkwardness of being put on the spot). Or, you can decorate a thankfulness jar together and then fill it with everything you are thankful for on Thanksgiving. Make sure to put the date on your notes, put them in the jar, and then do the same next year. Soon you'll have a family collection of gratitude.

Now get out there and celebrate the season of giving!

Report this Content
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58741
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37882
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959433
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

194890
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments