Thanksgiving Traditions How my family celebrates the holiday

8 A.M., Time to Start Cooking!

It's no secret that Thanksgiving dinner takes a long time to prepare, with most people starting to cook several hours in advance. In my family, the cooking usually starts around 8 A.M. My mom, dad, and I are all running around in the kitchen trying to prepare different dishes. While I have helped with almost every dish before, the turkey is off limits for me. My dad prides himself on knowing how to cook a delicious turkey, so my mom and I let him do all the work on it.

One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving is watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The floats are amazing and the musical performances are even better. My favorite part has to be the marching band performances or the performance by The Rockettes.

A Few Hours Later...

After hours of preparation and baking in the oven, our dinner is ready! The table is set and all the guests have arrived. But before we can begin eating, there is one more thing we must do: open our Thanksgiving crackers! Just one little pull and these festive crackers pop right open to reveal all sorts of fun goodies.

Watch this video to see what happens when everyone opens up their Thanksgiving crackers.

Once everyone has finished dinner, we close off the night with dessert and a game. Each year we pick a different game and everyone joins in on the fun. The sounds of laughter and yells of excitement can be heard well into the evening, until it is time for our guests to leave.

Credits:

Created with an image by SEUNGJIN - "Autumn background with yellow maple leaves, red apples and pumpkins. Frame of fall harvest on aged wood with copy space. Mockup for seasonal offers and holiday post card, top view"