We’re so excited for Thanksgiving this year! It’s one of the most fun holidays to celebrate with those who mean a lot to you. Everything from watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to eating dinner, to cheering for your favorite football team, makes the day so special. We’re providing tips to make it the perfect holiday and avoid awkward moments.
1. Divide Labor in Advance
One potential point of contention is the division of labor. Figure out in advance who will cook, who will decorate and set the table and who will be on the cleanup committee. Making everything fair and equitable is essential to a fun day.
2. Plan the Menu
The first step is knowing how many guests to expect and then making sure to have enough food for everyone and for leftovers. Also, if you’re the one hosting, make sure you know what people love to eat and drink. If you’re the guest, answer any questions that come your way promptly and offer to bring a dish or a nice bottle of wine. Also, account for food allergies.
3. Have Thanksgiving Decor
Making the house look festive is a big part of the fun. Pumpkins are easy and cheap to decorate with, especially if you have some leftover from Halloween. Other ideas are gourds, colorful leave garlands and a festive tablecloth.
4. Schedule the Day
If you’re one of the ones cooking, make sure to schedule everything in advance, especially if there is only one oven. If you’re a guest, make sure to show up on time. Thanksgiving goes better when everyone works together…besides, people get cranky when they have to wait for food.
5. Wake Up and Watch the Macy’s Parade
One of the best traditions we have is waking up, grabbing a cup of coffee and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. There’s just something so special about it and makes us feel like kids again. While we usually start cooking during the parade, we love to keep it on in the background.
6. Drink Caffeine
Thanksgiving is tiring for everyone. Start the day off right with a caffeinated beverage. You’re going to want to stay alert for many hours during the day.
7. Don’t Talk About Touchy Subjects
The main rule is knowing your audience. We can’t tell you what counts as touchy subjects for you and your group, but make sure to be self-aware. Everyone wants the day to be fun and drama-free, so make sure everyone is on their best behavior. If someone does try to bring up a touchy subject, switch course quickly. Hey, did anyone watch the game? Or what is everyone’s favorite holiday memory? No need for awkward surprises.
8. Say What You’re Thankful For
The irony of Thanksgiving happening right before a day of consumerism. Instead of focusing on sales, spend the day being grateful for what you have. Even start dinner by having everyone say what they’re thankful for or their best memory from the year so far.
9. Enjoy the Meal and Thank the Host/Hostess
Unless you’re the host or hostess, of course. Then you should pat yourself on the back. If you’re a guest, recognize how much work the holiday is by saying thank you and how much the invitation meant to you. Thanks goes a long way!
10. Relax in Front of the TV
Our previous blog post can provide inspiration if you don’t know which Thanksgiving TV special to watch. But when there is down time, watch something that reflects the current holiday. We usually watch the Friends episodes on Thanksgiving Day!
11. Eat Leftovers and Watch Football
Typically, we eat the Thanksgiving meal around 1:00 pm and have dessert between 4:00 and 5:00 pm. By the time Thursday night football rolls around, it’s time for seconds. This year is even more special because the Patriots are playing the primetime game. It means that we are going to park ourselves on the couch with our favorite foods and watch an awesome game.
According to Chren 
I love Thanksgiving, although here in Canada we celebrated it a few weeks ago. We’ll definitely watch the Macy’s parade and the dog show next week, though. No football for this girl, though.
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We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you enjoy both the parade and dog show.
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These are all great ideas. Especially dividing the chores.
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Everyone is happy when things are fair!
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These are so many helpful tips for people who celebrate thanksgiving. Planning in advance is always a good move. I plan ahead for Christmas. Thank you for sharing your suggestions!
Lauren
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Planning ahead is so important for any holiday event. Thanks for reading!
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No thanksgiving here in the UK but can be readily transferred to Xmas. I especially like the gratitude segment and to be fair, Xmas tends to bring that out in many of us.
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Christmas is also a great time for gratitude!
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I absolutely love Thanksgiving! It reminds us to be grateful for what we have. These are some great tips, especially drinking caffeine cause we definitely want to feel refreshed. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!!
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These are great tips for planning the perfect Thanksgiving! I have so many good memories of celebrating Thanksgiving with my family in the US, but sadly, there is no holiday similar to Thanksgiving in Denmark. However, I still make a Thanksgiving dinner for my partner and our daughter. I also wonder if you can stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade somewhere.
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You might be able to stream it through Peacock! It’s great that you still plan on cooking a Thanksgiving meal. We hope you enjoy the holiday.
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We’ve already had our Thanksgiving here in Canada and hope that your Thanksgiving is a special one as you celebrate what you are truly thankful for.
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Thank you so much! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday last month.
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These are all great ideas! Everyone needs to remember not to talk about touchy subjects, my family has a hard time with this one.
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There’s no need to ruin the day with touchy subjects. Thanks for reading!
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All wonderful tips for planning the perfect Thanksgiving. These tips will ensure everyone feels comfortable, can enjoy each other’s company, and good food!
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Thank you so much!
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Some lovely ideas! We don’t have thanksgiving here but it sounds like a lovely celebration and time to get together with family and friends x
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Thank you! It’s a lot of fun and it’s important to be thankful and express gratitude.
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Great advice, thanks for sharing!
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Thank you!
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Thanksgiving sounds great! Wish we had it in the UK.
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It’s a lot of fun and if you ever visit the United States, it’s fun to take part in.
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These are amazing ideas, and we really enjoy watching the thanksgiving day parade! Great post! Thank you for sharing!
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Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
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You’re welcome and Happy Thanksgiving!
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Living in England, we don’t have Thanksgiving Day but I love to see and hear about how my fellow bloggers from across the pond spend this day. It sounds like a wonderful occasion and your itinerary is filled with such amazing things xxx
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