I love my family’s Thanksgiving traditions

Samantha Weber, Editor in cheif

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by fa especially the amount of food I consume. Thanksgiving dinner contains some of my favorite foods, like turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry jello salad.I love not eating anything all day and then eating more food than any other meal throughout the year. My family has started having its own Thanksgiving since COVID because my dad’s side of the family is still pretty cautious and that is normally who we would eat Thanksgiving dinner with. I hate how I cannot have the tradition we normally have this year with my extended family but obviously, I respect their wishes.The past two years have started new traditions as my family now hosts some of my mom’s family. Last year we had my aunt and uncle over along with my aunt’s mom and her only niece. It was a different group than we have ever had but it was very fun nonetheless. Now, my grandma, mom and I spend all day cooking and preparing food. We normally eat around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and it is always a nice reward for cooking all day.Another one of my favorite traditions is breaking the wishbone. We always switch it up among the kids who are at the dinner, and we always guess who will get the bigger half. Usually, we are wrong but it is still a lot of fun. I love making a wish when it is my turn because you never know, it just might come true.An underrated part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers that we have and can eat for days after. I always say Thanksgiving food is the gift that keeps on giving because sometimes I find myself eating mashed potatoes for like four days after dinner. Another tradition in my household is getting outside for a little part of the day. Whether that be for a quick walk around the neighborhood or to play football with my cousins in the backyard, I love being outside for a little bit to take a break from the constant cooking.To start the day, we normally have the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade on and enjoy watching all the floats and performances. This is always a fun way to begin the holiday and we usually have hot apple cider to start the day off right.We also always have a football game on during the day. I am excited this year because the Bills are playing on Thanksgiving and they have been pretty good this year. Arguably one of the best parts of the day is the post-dinner nap before dessert. Obviously, when you are full from actual dinner, you need to find a way to make room for dessert. Over the years, I have found that it is best to take a nap and then eat some dessert. Now the dessert is not my favorite part of the meal. I am not a fan of pumpkin pie and that is usually what we have, but I tend to stick to my cranberry jello salad.I love the way my family celebrates Thanksgiving because I am constantly surrounded by two things I love: family and food.