Thanksgiving Day Celebrations

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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, as it is one of the few times a year that I get to see some of my family and friends that I usually don’t see. It is a chance for me to reconnect with my cousins while eating delicious food and playing games.

My family’s Thanksgiving celebration usually begins at 4 pm, and we all gather at my cousin’s house. Once everyone arrives, we start on appetizers, which are chips and dip, samosas, and fruit. After appetizers, we all sit in the family room and talk about our lives and tell stories. This part is usually my favorite part of Thanksgiving because I love hearing the experiences that my family members are going through and all of the happy memories they have made since I’ve last seen them. Once we talk for about two hours, we start on dinner. Dinner usually consists of turkey (including a vegan turkey), mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, rolls, green beans, and a variety of different casseroles. The homemade mac and cheese that my aunt makes is my favorite food and the dish I look forward to the most on Thanksgiving. Due to the large number of people in my family, the kids usually sit in the garage while the adults sit in the family room while eating.

After everyone is finished eating, we take out the board games. We usually have cards, Life, Monopoly, PayDay, and Clue. My four cousins and I always start off with playing Monopoly, and this game can go on for a few hours. We are all very competitive in Monopoly, so the game can sometimes get aggressive, but it is a lot of fun and I look forward to it every year. Playing board games every Thanksgiving is one of my favorite family traditions. After playing board games for a few hours, we eat dessert., which is pumpkin, apple, and pecan pies, cheesecake (my favorite dessert), and assorted cookies. After dessert, we all go for a walk around the neighborhood. Many houses in the neighborhood are already decorated with Christmas lights, so it is so much fun to see all of the beautiful decorations.

The Thanksgiving celebrations are usually over by around midnight, and many people start going home. However, my cousins and I love going Black Friday shopping after Thanksgiving. I love the energy of going shopping in the middle of the night, and it is the perfect way to end off a day of celebrations. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays as it gives me the chance to spend time and have fun with my loved ones.