Thanksgiving is widely celebrated as an event where friends and family get together and feast typically on turkey, pumpkin pie, and other delicacies, dance, sing, play different sports and engage themselves in various other recreational activities.
What is Thanksgiving and How is Thanksgiving Celebrated?
Thanksgiving is celebrated as one of the annual national festivals, primarily in the United States of America and Canada, marking the harvest and the blessings of past life. The history of Thanksgiving can be traced back to as early as the 16th Century, with people celebrating this day as a day of prayer for blessings like abundant harvest, safe journeys, and victories of the military. However, it was not until the 19th Century that Thanksgiving was recognized as an official holiday.
Thanksgiving 2022 is on 25th November.
10 Much-needed Tips for Thanksgiving
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you might be feeling already a bit hyped up as well as occupied with the planning and preparation that is involved with the festival. We bring to you some indispensable tips that are absolutely necessary for Thanksgiving.
1. Prepare a Checklist:
Brainstorm how the day of Thanksgiving is going to unravel by preparing a checklist with a pen and paper. Make a strong game plan for yourself on how you are going to get things done.
2. Go for minimalistic decorations:
Since you will stay occupied with work and other responsibilities before Thanksgiving, it would be sensible to go for minimalistic house decorations on the occasion of Thanksgiving. Go for simple flowers, candles, or mini gourds for decoration purposes.
3. Plan the dishes on the menu early on:
There are a wide variety of dishes to choose from when you celebrate Thanksgiving (check out the Special Menu for Thanksgiving below). When you have so many options, better choose the ones that you feel will go best for your event from early on and sort out your menu. This will help you avoid last-minute hassle and disagreements with family members.
4. Chalk out the ingredients for the dishes:
Make a separate list of all the ingredients for the dishes that have to be prepared on the occasion of Thanksgiving. This way, you won’t face any confusion when you go out to buy the ingredients prior to preparing the dishes.
5. Get the shopping done early and purchase extra amounts:
Everyone will be purchasing food, cooking ingredients, decorations, and gift items for Thanksgiving – quite naturally the prices of items will hike in stores and there will be overcrowding due to a sudden increase in demands. If you want to save yourself from these inconveniences, better get the shopping done early on. Do not forget to buy a little bit extra when it comes to food – because you never know when you are going to need some more!
6. Do as much prep-work 1-2 days earlier:
Take out all the cutlery that will be required, make doughs, bread, and all other food items that can be prepared earlier. Getting as much work as early as possible is the best bet to go with since you will have guests to entertain on the D-Day.
7. Don’t forget to clean up:
While you are preparing some of the food beforehand, it is likely that your kitchen and home will get messy. Make sure that you do the cleaning work diligently. Clean up your kitchen equipment including your oven. Check the restrooms and get them cleaned since you have guests coming over. Presentation, as well as hygiene, is vital when it comes to having a successful Thanksgiving get-together.
8. Set the table the day before:
Setting up the table a day earlier if you have the means to do so (without any small child to wreak havoc) seems like a wise idea. If you have a large number of guests arriving, it would be best if you make the table as well as the cutlery arrangements beforehand so that you do not have to hurry at the last moment to take care of these areas.
9. Take care of leftover food:
Wasting the leftover food, be it for any occasion, is simply not done, keeping in mind the massive number of people on the globe who are left without even the bare minimum amount of food and other basic necessities for themselves. Make arrangements for disposable containers for your guests to take home leftover food from the party. If you have leftover turkey, prepare a nice soup or broth to have the next day.
10. Make sure the waste management system is efficient:
Make sure that there are enough waste bins lying around so that the garbage accumulated can get disposed of immediately. You don’t want the waste lying around and making your house stink a few days later. Sort everything out beforehand in order to avoid unnecessary chaos.
Special Menu for Thanksgiving
Food is a word that is equivalent to happiness. On the special occasion of Thanksgiving, not surprisingly, food remains one of the most discussed topics for each and every one among us celebrating. Thanksgiving is not just all about the turkey, there are several other delicacies that you can explore. We bring to you some popular dishes you can try out as starters, main course, and dessert for Thanksgiving. Give your friends and family a nice surprise with your culinary skills!
- Sweet and Smoky Turkey
- Traditional Roasted Turkey with Gravy
- Tuscan Turkey Roulade
- Pickle-Brined Turkey
- Turkey with Stuffing
- Deep-fried Turkey and Waffles
- Grilled Turkey
- Maple-Glazed Turkey
- Skillet Turkey with Roasted Vegetables
- Bacon-wrapped Turkey Roll
- Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Sausage and Walnut Stuffing
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon
- Broccoli and Mushroom Salad
- Spicy Cauliflower with Figs
- Mushroom Soup Green Bean Casserole
- Baked Squash with Apples and Cranberries
- Creamy Corn Pudding
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Coconut
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Roll
- Apple Crisp Cheesecake
- Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Pie
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Cranberry Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Cherry Pie
- Pumpkin Tart
- Apple Tart
- Sweet Potato Cake
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate/Nuts as a topping
- Sweet Potato Cookies
- Pumpkin Pudding
- Peanut Butter Lasagna
- Pumpkin Mousse
- Perfect Apple Crumble with Ice Cream topping
- Pumpkin Truffles
- Sweet Potato Souffle
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Thanksgiving is an annual festival we all look forward to – Thanksgiving simply gives us the opportunity to express our gratitude for all that we have received in life so far. It is an occasion when we can loosen up, relax and rejuvenate in the company of our near and dear ones. We wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving!
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