Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays in the United States, symbolizing the joy of a bountiful harvest and the reunion of families.
Its origins can be traced back to 1621, when the Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth Colony were taught by the Wampanoag tribe how to grow corn, hunt, and fish, learning to survive using the resources of the land. In order to express their gratitude, Pilgrims and Native Americans held a three -day feast to celebrate the harvest. In 1941, the U.S. Congress officially established Thanksgiving as a national holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, a tradition that continues to this day.
1. Setting a Thanksgiving-Themed Table
One of the most important parts of the Thanksgiving celebration is gathering the family around the table and sharing a hearty meal. Therefore, setting up a beautiful table is the first step we need to do. Next, we will provide a detailed guide on how to create a Thanksgiving dinner table full of festive atmosphere.
Choose a linen tablecloth in a neutral color like beige or gray to create a warm and simple tone. For dinner plates, choose white china with clean lines, or consider plates with gold rims. For tableware, use wooden dinnerware or stainless steel dinnerware with wooden handles to add a fall natural feel.
In the center of the table, you can place a flower basket filled with fall plants such as chrysanthemums, sunflowers and maple leaves, or use decorations such as mini pumpkins and pinecone flowers to enhance the holiday atmosphere.
You can place warm yellow table lamps such as table pumpkin lamps or a few candles on the dining table to provide light while improving the atmosphere and making the food look more attractive.
2. Designing a Themed Menu
Thanksgiving dishes are the key to the entire celebration. If you haven’t decided what to make yet, here are a few dish recommendations to help you create a delicious and festive meal.
Menu A
Appetizer:
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
- Pumpkin Quinoa Patties
Main Course:
- Roast Turkey
- Roasted Root Vegetables
- Creamy Pasta
Dessert:
- Apple Butter Pie
- Sweet Potato Custard
Menu B
Appetizer:
- Sweet Potato and Mushroom Tart
- Green Bean Salad
Main Course:
- Brined Turkey
- Garlic Herb Ribs
- Corn and Beef Patties
Dessert:
- Cranberry Pie
- Thanksgiving Rolls
When preparing your main course for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to add a few classic toppings: cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and stuffing.
In addition to sumptuous dishes, prepare drinks tailored to each guest’s needs. For adults who like alcoholic drinks, it is recommended to choose red wine such as Merlot or Pinot Noir or Champagne. If any guests are allergic to alcohol or have children present, prepare some non-alcoholic beverages such as hot cocoa or hot apple juice.
3. Holding Classic Thanksgiving Activities
During the meal, everyone can engage in some relaxed and enjoyable table activities, which can liven up the atmosphere and promote interaction and intimacy among family members or friends. Here are some classic dining activities we recommend.
Toast Ceremony
Thanksgiving toasts are an essential part of the meal. Before or during the meal, the host can offer a toast to thank everyone for coming and express gratitude to friends and family. Each guest can take turns sharing a brief toast, and together, everyone can raise their glasses to wish for unity and happiness.
Turkey Wishbone Game
After eating turkey, remove the wishbone from the turkey. Before starting, the two players silently made their wishes. They then each grasped each end of the wishbone with their fingers and pulled hard at the same time. After the wishbone is broken, it is usually believed that the wish of the person who is left with the larger half will come true.
Wine Tasting Activity
To spice up your wine tasting, you can prepare several wines of the same type based on your guests’ preferred wines, such as different white, red or sparkling wines. Each wine is offered in small tasting portions, allowing guests to taste one by one and guess where the wine comes from.
Finally, reveal the details of each wine, discuss their guesses with the guests, and give a small reward to the guest who guesses correctly.
4. Creating a Cozy Environment
Creating a warm Thanksgiving atmosphere is an important part of celebrating this holiday. Through the carefully arranged surroundings, we can make every guest who come to our home feel the rich festive spirit and our heartfelt hospitality.
Patio Decoration
If the outdoors is your main venue for Thanksgiving activities, you can lay out an outdoor rug in a warm color in your dining area and place pumpkins, pinecones, squirrel sculptures, and other decorations around the dining area.
If the surrounding area is spacious enough, you can also set up colorful flower beds in open spaces, placing multiple pots of different types of autumn flowers, such as marigolds, dahlias, and Autumn Lilies.
Home Decoration
Indoor decor should highlight the natural beauty of Thanksgiving and fall. You can hang fall-themed decorative paintings or fabric wall hangings on the walls, and use windowsills and tabletops to place bouquets of sunflowers, daisies, etc, or place scented candles such as pumpkin spice to fill the space with natural fragrance.
Porch Decoration
Place large pumpkins or dried corn stalks on either side of the porch, and hang a large dried flower wreath or a pinecone wind chime on the door to create the fall atmosphere .Hang a “Happy Thanksgiving” banner above the door, or place a wooden welcome sign with a greeting nearby.
If guests are arriving in the evening, hang lanterns or string lights on the porch railing or nearby trees to create a warm and holiday ambiance.
5. Curating a Music Playlist
Music is an important tool in creating the atmosphere of an event. The right music can help everyone relax and better immerse themselves in the atmosphere of reunion and celebration. Next, we will recommend some music tracks suitable for Thanksgiving to add more beauty to this special day.
Soft Music
Autumn Leaves – Eva Cassidy
What a Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
River – Joni Mitchell
Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Fields of Gold – Sting
Energy Music
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Good as Hell – Lizzo
Treasure – Bruno Mars
Firework – Katy Perry
September – Earth, Wind & Fire
Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
6. Arranging a Photo Corner
Arranging a dedicated photo corner in your home not only provides a beautiful photo space, but also helps everyone freeze those precious moments and leave unforgettable memories.
If the weather is nice, the open space in front of your porch is the perfect place to set up a photo corner, this area is usually the first stop for guests. The beauty of the photo corner can be further enhanced if green plants and flowers are planted around the porch.If the weather is not ideal, you can choose an open area indoors near the window as a photo corner.
Light is key for taking photos in corners. Natural light is usually the ideal choice, but if it’s not enough or you want to create a special atmosphere, consider using LED ring lights, ground lights or small lanterns.
After choosing a photo corner, the next step is to decorate it. You can prepare a background board with a clear theme. The design of the background board can be a Thanksgiving theme with Thanksgiving words and fall decorative elements, or it can be a family or friends theme, and collage photos of family and friends on the background board. . If you want your photo corner to be more personalized, you can discuss it with your guests and choose a specific theme, such as Marvel or princess.
Prepare some fun props like funny sunglasses, fake mustaches, wigs, or cute plush toys for your guests to use while taking photos. Don’t forget to provide a few comfortable chairs where guests can sit and take photos, both for convenience and comfort and to add different pose options for the shoot.
7. Conducting Post-Meal Activities
If it’s not too late after dinner and the weather permits, you can play some fun exercise games in the yard. These games can help everyone improve digestion and relax.
Sack Race
Everyone stands in a large sack, holds the mouth of the bag with both hands, and when the signal sounds, jump to the finish line together. The first person to arrive will win the first place.
Obstacle Course
Use furniture, sofa cushions, pillows, wooden boards and other items to build a simple and fun obstacle course. The design includes different challenges of jumping, crawling and going around.
Soccer
If your yard doesn’t have a dedicated soccer field, you can simply use two backpacks or shoes as makeshift goal markers and play games with soccer balls.
Frisbee Game
Everyone stands in different positions and passes the Frisbee to each other. It can be a relaxed relay race or a simple target throwing competition.
8. Organizing Craft Activities
If you have a long time before eating, or if conditions don’t allow for outdoor exercise, try a fun craft activity. During the production process, everyone can not only enjoy the hands-on fun, but also chat and interact in a relaxed atmosphere. It is a good way to increase mutual intimacy and relaxation.Here are some craft activities perfect for Thanksgiving.
Make Scented Candles
Prepare enough containers, appropriate amounts of beeswax or soy wax, essential oils or spices (such as cinnamon, cloves or vanilla), candle wicks, decorations, packaging boxes and other materials in advance. And be familiar with the entire production process, so that you can guide guests through candle making more smoothly.
Thanksgiving Napkin Rings
To organize a Thanksgiving napkin ring making activity, you need to prepare cardboard (or paper towel tubes), decorations (ribbons, pinecones, dried flowers, etc.), as well as tools such as glue guns and scissors. After making, make sure to let the napkin ring sit for a while and wait for the glue to dry completely before placing it on the table.
Turkey Leaf Placemat
If there are more children, Turkey leaf placemat is a good choice. You can prepare some maple leaves in advance, or take the children to the yard to pick up their favorite autumn leaves, and provide colored pens, cardboard, scissors and other materials.
9. Hosting a Movie Night
After a whole day of sumptuous meals and various activities, you can sit together, enjoy a warm movie. To make movie night more comfortable and enjoyable, here are some preparation tips:
First, choose a suitable viewing area. If the living room space is limited, you can use a projector to play in an empty room with large white walls. Make sure you have enough cushions and blankets for everyone to sit or lie down comfortably.
Have snacks and drinks ready for the movie. Popcorn is a must-have for watching movies, and remember to prepare several different flavors, such as butter, caramel, sea salt and cheese, to meet the needs of different tastes. You can also offer other snacks like chips, cookies, and a mixed nut platter. At the same time, set up a beverage station with drinks like cola and hot coffee, and prepare toppings such as cotton candy, lemon slices, and cream for guests to customize their drinks.
If you haven’t decided what movie to play, you can choose based on your guests’ preferences and age. Here are some categories of videos we recommend:
Family Comedy
Home Alone
Sweet Home Alabama
Freaky Friday
Mystery and Thriller
The Skeleton Key
The Prestige
The Butterfly Effect
Romantic Movies
The Notebook
Pretty Woman
Titanic
10. Preparing Thanksgiving Gifts
At the end of the event, we can give our friends and family thoughtfully prepared gifts. Whether it’s a handmade craft or a carefully selected small item, these gifts represent our gratitude and love for them. They can serve as a beautiful reminder of the memories made on this special day.
Here are the items we recommend as suitable gifts.
- Scarf: The weather is getting colder, a suitable scarf keeps their warm and beautiful.
- Homemade Cookies: Homemade fall flavor handmade cookies, incorporating the aroma of the season and the maker’s characteristics,convey heartfelt warmth and gratitude.
- Customized Keychain: The keychain can be engraved with the recipient’s initials and the date of Thanksgiving, which is both beautiful and full of commemorative significance.
- Turkey Plush Toy: As a symbol of Thanksgiving, this cute turkey toy can remind the recipient of the warmth of that day every time he sees it.
- Photo Book: Compile the photos taken on the day into a book, adding short captions to help recall the special moments of the day.
We believe you’ve already got your own plans for Thanksgiving preparation by reading our creative suggestions. You are welcome to discuss your Thanksgiving plans and ideas with us in the comment area, let us communicate together and create more wonderful holiday memories!
