11 Tried-and-True Thanksgiving Traditions to Consider Stealing

Looking to liven up Thanksgiving this year? Get inspired to adopt one of these Turkey Day traditions already proven to stand the test of time by our Patch staffers. Then tell us your family's favorite tradition in the comments!

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1. Volunteer

"Volunteering with my kids at the local church to help set up for the huge community dinner for those in need the day before Thanksgiving, and taking part in the turkey burn walk. Race participants bring canned food as their entry fee!" —Autumn Johnson, Dublin, California

2. Feed the Neighborhood

"Cooking a 20-plus-pound turkey with all the sides and feeding as many people as possible. I try, and fail, every year to replicate my late mother-in-law's gravy. And my husband and I love to feed friends who don't have family nearby to spend the day with. So our table is always a mix of relatives and friends." — Deb Belt, West Des Moines, Iowa

3. Never Get Off the Couch
"Getting drunk with my family, watching holiday movies, not moving from the couch all day." — Mae Horgan, New York City, New York

4. Support Your Favorite High School Football Team
"For most of my adult life, Thanksgiving has included a heavy dose of high school football. While it wasn't fully understood by the non-journalists in my family, it was and remains a part of it that I really enjoy. When I'm not at a football game, I love to watch the Macy's parade on TV while I'm cooking." — Karen Wall, Toms River, New Jersey

5. Take Part in a Parade
"Taking my kids to the local Thanksgiving parade." — Patch Chairman Charlie Hale, New York, New York

6. Hit the Kitchen (Duh!)
"Cooking ALL THE THINGS!" —Celeste Wetzel, Warrenton, Virgina

7. Give Thanks at the Table
"Having lots of family together and going around the table telling what we are most thankful for." —Laura Boniello, Cedar Grove, New Jersey

8. Get a New Group Together
"As a kid my family lived overseas, and we couldn't justify plane tickets to fly home to Michigan every Thanksgiving. So, we'd get together all of my parents' coworkers who were in the same situation and every year we'd have a mishmash of expat misfits at our house for Thanksgiving. It was always different but always still felt like a family gathering." — Anicka Slachta, Chicago, Illinois

9. Hire the Kids to Decorate
"My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having my daughters make the place cards and arrange entertainment following the dinner. We also share many of the southern traditions that I grew up with, the best of which are the recipes for corn pudding, and corn bread stuffing that are my mother's signature dishes." — Ashley Ludwig, San Juan Capistrano, California

10. Get Some Exercise

"Every year my family gets up super early to head to an annual 'turkey trot' on the famed El Paseo in Palm Desert. It's tough to get up so early on a holiday, but always well worth it!" — Renee Schiavone, Beaumont, California

11. Recreate a Classic

"My favorite Thanksgiving dish is the stuffing. My father was fond of preparing the Thanksgiving meal for all of us, and his stuffing was the stuff of legend. Since his passing, I find myself sampling various stuffing creations to see if they might even come close. To date, I've yet to find anything that approximates my old man's stuffing recipe, but with each sampling, I find myself thinking of him." — Tony Cantu, Austin, Texas

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Photo credit: Tim Sackton via Flikr