Thanksgiving Day Dinner-Start A New Tradition Around The Table

Thanksgiving is the time of year when family, friends and a lost soul or two start getting together for the holidays. When you visit family you haven't seen all year long. When friends come together for that big old thing called turkey dinner. Depending on whom is where, or who has to work or doesn't have to work, getting together can be a chore in itself.

But once you decide on where, including who is going to host Thanksgiving dinner, then the celebration begins. Thanksgiving is a day when people can reflect over the past year, and discover thanks in their lives. Once you are sitting down at the table with friends, and their friends, family, new additions to the family it is a positive way to relate with people that aren't necessarily in your life everyday.

Sitting there at the table reflecting, you get to know people, those you don't know, and one's you imagined you did. You begin to develop traditions. The children oftentimes spring into boredom rather quickly, tranquilized from all the adult chatter, and start generating their own unique stories.

This is where you can give birth to meaningful new traditions for Thanksgiving Day Dinner. You can do this yourself or have guests assist you. Get a decorative basket or bowl large enough to add slips of folded paper. Take several sheets of colorful paper and cut into squares. Big enough to write questions or a small task on. The questions or tasks should be age appropriate if you have children at your Thanksgiving dinner table. The idea is to put the questions in the basket or bowl and during your meal pass the basket or bowl around, pass onto the next guest, take out a slip of paper and answer the question accordingly. And so the basket goes around.

Of course some of the questions are quite possibly going to start a conversation? Make it a fun conversation, you don't want to have a question that is serious enough to have a guest or child upset. You want to draw people together, to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner, get to know one another, laugh, be merry and thankful for the family and friends you are sharing your Thanksgiving dinner with.

Some Question Ideas:

• Describe what you are most thankful for? (that is a given, it is Thanksgiving after all)
  
• What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? (it is not always the turkey)
  
• Who do you wish had been at this Thanksgiving dinner?
  
• Look at the person across from you, name 3 things you like about them.
  
• What is/was your favorite toy as a child? (if a child is answering, you may be surprised)
  
• How old were you when you had your first kiss?
  
• Name your Kindergarten teacher. (this can really get a conversation going)
  
• What do you like about snow? (kids will love this one)
  
• If you could leave on an all expense paid vacation tomorrow for one week? Where would you go?
  
• Pancakes or French toast?
  
• What is your favorite Christmas movie? (you'll shoot you're eye out)
  
• Sing Jingle Bells to everyone's delight.
  
• You're worst traveling experience?
  
• What gift would you most like to receive? (beware this could get expensive)
  
• Who is your favorite super hero?
  
• Which character in a book best describes who you are?
  
• Who is your favorite TV character? (an easy one for the kids)

These are just a few questions to give you an idea of what to put in the basket or bowl. Of course the questions and tasks can take on a life of their own. If there are no children at your Thanksgiving dinner you can make the game a little more daring. Either way, the game idea is designed to get to know your friends and family just a little bit better, have fun celebrating the holiday, and creating a Thanksgiving tradition.