By Katie Carpenter
When you think about Thanksgiving, what comes to mind? Is it a golden-brown turkey roasting in the oven? Is it the cranberry sauce (from the can, of course)? Grandma’s homemade stuffing? Playing football in the yard with your dad and siblings? The tradition of attending a religious service or volunteering time to help those in need?
Whatever images popped into your head, there are probably three things that we can all agree make this holiday special – family, food, and gratitude.
We’re in the depths of a global pandemic, and we’ve been asked to adapt our holiday this year and to do our part in staying home and staying safe. This year will look and feel very different. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get creative and continue the traditions that we hold close while at home.
Above all, it’s a time to reflect on what we are grateful for, amidst the challenges that 2020 has thrown our way. At TPT, we’re so grateful for you and all of our members that have been so supportive of the work that we do this year. A warm thanks to you and your family.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Before celebrating, let’s pause to acknowledge and honor the true story of Thanksgiving.
We encourage you to read Thanksgiving: Practicing Gratitude and Honoring the Real Story.
In the article the author shares:
“There is so much we can — and should — teach children about the real, unsanitized origins of Thanksgiving, and we can do so without losing our family traditions. In fact, honoring the true story can amplify and even uplift our celebrations: when we paint a fuller picture of history, we help our children build critical thinking skills, and give them a true understanding of all there is to be thankful for. In doing so we also pay our respects to those who suffered (and still do) from a terrible chapter of American history.”
Below are some creative ways to make sure Thanksgiving is still delicious, festive, and meaningful.
FAMILY
Host a Story Exchange!
Take an opportunity to ask someone in your life about their family history and traditions. This new activity is part of the new TPT Moving Lives MN project, focused on local immigration and origin stories. Download the printable story mat to host a conversation with someone and learn about tradition, home, and connection. Then, snap a photo and share to be included in the evolving story collection at Moving Lives!
Create Your Own “My Family Traditions” Book
Explore family and culture by making a book about your own family traditions.
Host a movie night!
Watch An Arthur Thanksgiving below. Then, play the Arthur Thanksgiving game!
Simple Family-Friendly Thanksgiving Traditions
Easy ways to create some new traditions focused on gratitude and being together.
Make a Turkey finger puppet
Need some entertainment while staying at home for the holiday? Help your kids make turkey puppets and host a puppet show in your living room! Gobble gobble!
FOOD
Get inspired by Twin Cities chefs in the digital video series, Relish
Relish shares stories of cultural heritage in Twin Cities communities through the universal language of food. Viewers learn about and celebrate the diversity of our communities, inspiring them to explore their world in a whole new way.
Try making Diné chef Brian Yazzie’s Indigenous Ingredient-Rooted Three Sisters Dish
Create Leaf Napkin Rings for your Thanksgiving table
Turn some index cards and a paper towel roll into leaf napkin rings this Thanksgiving in just a few simple steps! This project is a great way to combine an art and craft project into one and could become a fun pre-Thanksgiving dinner tradition for the whole family.
Chocolate Acorns
This sweet and crunchy acorn dessert would be a fun gift for family and neighbors.
Leftover Turkey Cyber-Soup
Learn how to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a brand new meal with Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s Cyberchase recipe.
Combating Food Waste With Cyberchase
Chef Marcus Samuelsson says that Thanksgiving can be a time when a lot of food, often unintentionally, goes to waste. He says:
“On a global scale, we waste up to a third of our food annually. In the United States, this equates to roughly 403 pounds of food per person — even though one in seven Americans is food insecure. These statistics are troubling, so minimizing food loss is something I’m passionate about – be it at home, in my restaurants, or as I explore new cultures and tasty cuisine on my PBS TV show, “No Passport Required.”
GRATITUDE
Gratitude Turkey
Make a colorful turkey and talk about gratitude with this cute Thanksgiving craft!
Thanksgiving Venn Diagram
Practice gratitude with this engaging activity for the entire family!
Thankful Cards
Write the special people in your life to let them know you are thankful for them:
Books that Inspire Gratitude
Check out these books to help educate your kids on why being thankful is so important.
Tell us- What are you grateful for this year? Please leave a comment below.
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2020. All rights reserved.
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