Which Thanksgiving Tradition Is Your Family Known For? (2024)

When it comes to holidays, Thanksgiving is one of the best for cooking and eating. Just like everybody has their own family recipes and menu mainstays, each household celebrates Thanksgiving with their own lineup of time-honored traditions. Whether the hosts rotate every year, or Grandma always runs the show, each Thanksgiving celebration has special routines that make it unique.

With that being said, there are some traditions that you can find in households all over the country. So we've rounded up some of the most popular events that happen every Thanksgiving: from special ways to cook a turkey to TV specials to table-side traditions.

Did we miss one of your family Thanksgiving traditions? Let us know in the comments below.

Whether you want to set a personal record or just want to work up an appetite before Thanksgiving dinner, participating in a local Turkey Trot is a long-standing holiday tradition.

Many families spend time on Thanksgiving Day participating in canned food drives or serving a holiday meal at their local soup kitchens. There’s no better way to give thanks than by serving your community.

One of the most fun traditions happens every year in New York City. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade features balloons and floats inspired by our favorite characters. If you can’t witness the magic in person, watching it on TV is just as fun.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is essential viewing every year. Watching Snoopy make a holiday meal with popcorn, jelly beans, and buttered toast is wholesome and nostalgic.

Thanksgiving falls in the thick of football season, so you can reasonably expect to find a game on television. You can also go out to the backyard to play a casual game with your family.

Turkey is a mainstay on the Thanksgiving table, but certain households up the ante by deep frying the whole bird.

Thanksgiving is one of the few days out of the year where it’s socially acceptable to eat dinner at three in the afternoon.

A common Thanksgiving tradition is going around the dinner table and asking each guest the things that make them feel thankful.

One beloved tradition comes with every holiday turkey: the wishbone. Two people pull the bone apart, and whoever has the larger half will have their holiday wish come true. Want to know how to win every time? Check out our guide to the wishbone tradition.

There are a lot of components of a classic Thanksgiving meal, so many families offload the work by hosting a potluck where everybody brings a side.

Some people forgo the traditional family gathering by hosting a Friendsgiving instead.

Maybe it’s the intense work in the kitchen, maybe it’s the tryptophan in the turkey, but odds are you’ll need a nap after Thanksgiving dinner.

Black Friday seemingly starts earlier every year. There’s no better way to wrap up Thanksgiving than lining up for some sweet deals.

Some people are excited for Thanksgiving to be over solely to usher in the Christmas spirit. And honestly, we don’t blame them.