5 Ways To Enhance Your Thanksgiving Celebration
Do you want to make this Thanksgiving special?
November is the month for thanksgiving thanks to the holiday happening next week. While I’d love to see thanksgiving be better represented the rest of the year, I confess that our family probably concentrates more on giving thanks during this month than the other months in the year.
If you want to make kick up your Thanksgiving celebration an extra notch this year, I have a few ideas for you. Here is a list of several ways to enhance your Thanksgiving experience.
- Run or walk at a Turkey Trot. A few years ago, I did the Thanksgiving Marathon in NYC which might be considered a little overboard by many. Why not get out and run or walk a community 5K? Many towns across the country have started their own Turkey Trot. My wife and kids have run one in Latrobe, PA several times. The races are always fun, and it makes the turkey taste so much better later that day. This year, we’re planning something a little different. If the weather works out, we are planning to meet at the bicycle shop in our town for a community bike ride on our nearby trail. It’s more like a Turkey Trail Ride as opposed to a Turkey Trot, but I think it will be just the way to get us ready for the Thanksgiving festivities.
- Invite someone over for dinner. My guess is that you live near someone who is missing out on family. They are lonely, and they may not have to means to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Why not invite them over to your house? Usually, there are more than enough leftovers to go around after the Thanksgiving feast, and we can always put an extra chair around the table. This year, we are looking forward to hosting another family for Thanksgiving. It will be fun to spend time together over the Thanksgiving meal.
- Go out and serve. There are hundreds of opportunities around your community. The church in my hometown of Mt. Holly, NJ used to hold a Community Thanksgiving Day meal where our family served a couple of times. This was a great way for my parents to demonstrate that Thanksgiving was so much more than turkey and football. We had the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in need. Why not find a place to serve with your family this Thanksgiving season? (If you’re in the Perkiomen Valley area, consider joining our H.O.P.E. group. We gather together twice a month to serve others in our community. You can find out more about the group by going to our Facebook page (HOPEontheway).
- Start a Thanksgiving tradition. For nearly fifteen ten years, our family has been using the same tablecloth for our Thanksgiving dinner. The tablecloth is white. Each year, those in attendance trace their hand onto the tablecloth using different colored fabric markers. Then in each of the five fingers, we write down something for which we’re thankful along with our name and the year. The tablecloth is now filled with names of grandparents who are no longer with us and with years of thanksgiving. As we look at the table each year, we have opportunity to reflect on how God has blessed us even through years of challenge. Why not start a new tradition this year in your home? Go buy a tablecloth and some fabric markers today!
- Make it Thank You Thursday every week. Matt McWilliams is a friend of mine from the blogging community. A couple of years ago, Matt wrote about starting a Thank You Thursday Revolution. In his post, he encouraged readers to write a handwritten Thank You note each Thursday. Since his post, I’ve been writing a note every week to put into the mailbox of a co-worker. It’s been remarkable to see the reaction. We don’t need to be thankful one Thursday of the year. Why not join the Thank You Thursday Revolution today? It will change your world and the world of those around you!
This is a start!