Easy-peasy ways to put some non-traditional twists on our Thanksgiving traditions
COVID 19 has certainly put its stamp on everything 2020, causing us to rewrite the traditions on so many celebrations including – what may be the most traditional celebration of all, Thanksgiving.
A 2020
Butterball survey found 21 percent of adults say they have no idea what they
will do this Thanksgiving. If you are unsure of how to host Thanksgiving dinner
this year – you are not alone. But don’t you worry, today we have some
ideas for you.
We join Lifestyle Expert and Author Donna Bozzo, who wrote the book on family fun via Zoom to give us some suggestions – easy-peasy ways to put some non-traditional twists on our Thanksgiving traditions this year without scraping the fun and spirit of the holiday– or leaving loved ones lonely.
Take The Feast & The Fun Outdoors
For
many, an outdoor celebration is a great option since some experts believe COVID
risk seems to be lower with outdoor gatherings. So forget the china and use the
great outdoors to set your Thanksgiving table with lots of pine cones,
pumpkins, they kids will love helping you. Send them on a scavenger hunt in the
backyard – they will have fun searching for sticks and stones. And find
fun ways to light up the night with candles and twinkle lights. You might even
decide to fire up the fire pit. I predict grilled turkey will be on trend this
year.
Host
A “Virtual” Thanksgiving
If you
are following CDC recommendations and plan to celebrate with your household
alone, but you don’t want to leave out loved ones near or far– consider hosting
a Virtual Thanksgiving. By now everyone is familiar on how to work Zoom –
if not, the teens in the group can definitely help get everyone set up. I love
the idea of sending all the activities and games out to everybody in your
virtual crowd beforehand, and the feast! I love Home Chef meal kits for this.
Everyone can order a Thanksgiving bundle – everything you need to cook a
Thanksgiving feast is delivered to you all pre-measured with easy to follow
recipe cards. I even love the idea of cooking together on Zoom beforehand.
Don’t
Forget The Fun! Tailor Fun For Everyone From Tots To Teens To The Adults
Fun is
an even more important part of the menu this year with everything we’ve missed
out on in 2020 so really give some thought on how you can entertain every age
group in your gathering this year – whether in person or virtual – with
activities games you send around to your virtual group beforehand. Here
are a couple of my favorites for 2020.
Fun For The Adults
Turkey
Trivia
Stump
your guests near and virtually near with Turkey Trivia Questions. Inexpensive
fun. You just need to do a bit of research beforehand then write out the
questions and answers on notecards or turkey cards you cut out of construction
paper. Google makes this a cinch! Gobble Google. Want to try your
hand at Turkey Trivia?
Example
questions:
How long has football been
a Thanksgiving tradition?
Football Has Been a Thanksgiving
Tradition for Almost 150 Years
For the last 144 years, Thanksgiving
has been celebrated with football—whether on TV or played in the backyard by
family members who want to get out of cooking. The first Thanksgiving game was
played between Yale and Princeton in 1876, and a few years later it became tradition
for the college football championships to be held on the holiday.
Was Turkey Served At The
First Thanksgiving?
Turkey seems to be the main dish
of choice at the Thanksgiving table – Americans purchased 46 million turkeys
last November — but researchers say the very first Thanksgiving didn’t
include turkey – rather members of the Wampanoag tribe (who lived in the area
where the pilgrims landed) ate lobster, deer, and seafood they could catch.
Which TV Show Is Credited
For Creating Friendsgiving?
Friends
How Was The Phrase Black
Friday Coined?
It’s not what you think! Black
Friday was invented to STOP people from shopping over Thanksgiving weekend. The
term was first used in 1966 by the Philadelphia Police Department, who were
trying to discourage people from shopping that day in order to cut down on
traffic before the Army-Navy football game on Saturday.
With
everything going on this year – don’t let restrictions ruin your Thanksgiving
celebration. Let these unprecedented times give you the opportunity to literally
invent your own Thanksgiving fun. You’ll be so glad you did!
For
more ways to find family fun, look for Donna’s books What The Fun and Fidget
BustersWith everything going on this year – don’t let restrictions ruin your
Thanksgiving celebration. Let these unprecedented times give you the
opportunity to literally invent your own Thanksgiving fun. You’ll be so glad
you did!
For
more ways to find simple, fantastic family fun, look for Donna ’s books What
The Fun and Fidget Busters. Or follow her on Instagram at @
Donna Bozzo.