How to keep Thanksgiving about Gratefulness

How can we keep it from becoming just “Turkey Day”?

The most obvious answer is “Don’t call it Turkey Day!” But if we take gratefulness for granted, it will fade away. Like the whipped cream on our pumpkin pie when we walk away and get stuck talking to crazy Uncle Charlie…when we come back, it’s just a puddle of soggy pumpkin soup. (Moderately sweet, but not the same.)

We must nurture thankfulness in our children and ourselves if we want it to grow. Like a very special garden plant, if we help it grow and give it attention it will bear wonderful fruit for ourselves and others. And what better time than Thanksgiving (one of my all time favorites!) to be reminded of this all-too-often neglected cornerstone. So here are a few ways to keep Thanksgiving about gratefulness.

Gratefulness Journal

A book and a pen – doesn’t get easier.

I think this is one of the very best ways to keep thankfulness top of mind. You take a journal or notebook at the end of the day and write down something from that day for which you are grateful. It doesn’t have to be long or even super-positive, just a few words are enough. “My children” is a start. “My dog doesn’t shed.” “Pizza” would be one of mine often.

But here’s the kicker: you must write down something new every day. You cannot repeat anything you have already written down. I suppose you could be grateful for your wife’s eyes one day, and write down “Her smile” another day. But eventually you run out of body parts and have to start thinking about her personality. (HAHA! Just kidding ladies. I’m sure your husband gets to your personality very quickly.) It can also be done with the whole family during your evening meal.

This practice keeps you thinking of things to be glad about, and it will encourage not only gratefulness but a more positive outlook on life.

Gratefulness Tree

Gratefulness grows when you plant it.

These are fun with the whole family. Each family member traces their hand on a piece of colored construction paper. They cut out their hand shape and write something on that hand which they are thankful for.

On the wall Mom or Dad, using brown paint or a less permanent option is brown construction paper, create a tree with branches only. Then the children get to tape their gratefulness hand on one of the branches. If you do this for about a week you can end up with a tree full of colored leaves that is a visual reminder of how much we have to thank God for.

If you have 5 or more kids then everyone does one per day. If you have 4 or less then each person does two. Mom and Dad should participate also!

Put Family before Food and Football

Finding fun with family makes football and food fade.

Make sure the main thing stays the main thing. Great food and good football are certainly a wonderful part of the day. But don’t make the entire day only about what we eat and when the game starts. Take time to talk to each other. Make sure you develop some traditions that do not include the television or something to eat. Play a game, do a craft, or talk about what you’re grateful for.

One family I heard of put 11 pieces of corn on each plate, and before they started eating they would all take turns sharing something for which they were very grateful. Why 11 pieces of corn? Because that was the daily ration for the Pilgrims in Plymouth during their first winter. Reminds you of how bad things can be.

On a side note, reminding a child of how bad things could be is actually a good parenting technique to encourage daily gratefulness. ;o) “If you’re not happy with one cookie maybe you’d prefer to have zero?” Works every time. “Thank you for my cookie daddy.”

Read or watch historically accurate account of the First Thanksgiving

You might be surprised at the truth.

Most people today think that the First Thanksgiving was about the Pilgrims thanking the Native Americans for saving them from starvation. In actuality it was a time of recognizing the provisions of God in Heaven and the remarkable way in which He rescued them and brought them prosperity. And yes, the Native Americans played a big part and were certainly included by the Pilgrims as welcome neighbors. But it was first and foremost a time of saying thanks to Almighty God.

Here are a couple good places to find reliable information:

Prager U – I have found their material to be very reliable and easy to follow.

The great Rush Limbaugh always reminded us of the true story of Thanksgiving.

If you will plug some of these ideas into your holiday, you might find that Thanksgiving retains its gratefulness and won’t devolve into “Turkey Day”. The emphasis of the day stays where it should: “Thank you God for all of your blessings!”