Did You Take Part in Any Thanksgiving or Post-Holiday Traditions?

Every other year on Thanksgiving we go to my Grandma’s house. Each family member brings a homemade dish of food to her house, so she doesn’t have to cook a whole meal. While we eat lunch on Thanksgiving, we sit around the table and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade and then watch the National Dog Show. Once those two are both over we switch over to Hallmark and start watching Christmas. This really gets me in the Christmas mood and makes me realize that Christmas is right around the corner. Then when the younger kids are finished, we all go outside and ride around on golf carts and four wheelers around my Grandma’s farm. On the years that we don’t go to my Grandma’s house, my dad and I run in the Turkey Trot in our town. I love doing the Turkey Trot because it usually isn’t super competitive and it is just families enjoying the outdoors, and enjoying each others company. Or they may be trying to burn off calories before they go home and shove their face with sweets. As Matt Stevens says in the article “People generally burn about 100 calories per mile of running. So say you run a 5K on Thanksgiving Day; that’s about three miles and 300 calories — the equivalent of a single slice of pumpkin pie.” People shouldn’t worry about the calories just be in the moment, and enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Did You Take Part in Any Thanksgiving or Post-Holiday Traditions? Taking part in holiday activities make the holidays the best. Why do you think these events are popular with such a large number of people? I think the events have such a large number of people because everyone loves getting together, eating, watching football and just being around there family and friends. Did you go shopping on Black Friday? If so, did you shop in brick-and-mortar stores, online or both? Yes, I went to the mall and they have almost the same things as the stores online but I don’t like shopping online sometimes because you never really know what your gonna get because you haven’t looked at it or touched it. I think families should try harder to get together around the holidays because it makes the family stronger and everyone enjoys the time around each other “Generations of family and friends come out and it’s a reunion of sorts,”(Doyne, 2018, para. 5) it makes the holidays better. The holidays are a special time to get together and eat and enough each others time. Enjoy the time you have with the people around you because you never know when it will be over.

Thanksgiving Well, frankly, this Thanksgiving was my first Thanksgiving ever! I've never celebrated this so typical American holiday before. So I didn't know what to expect and obviously I didn't have any personal traditions. Being able to observe all the fundamental parts and traditions, as well as the differences among the individual families of different origins and backgrounds and being able to actually be a part of the scene was a very interesting and exciting experience. My Thanksgiving in total was an awesome and truly American experience. In my opinion this holiday represents America very well; every family celebrates Thanksgiving different, based on their origins and backgrounds, but no matter how they celebrate it, their Thanksgiving is American. Personally, I feel like celebrating Thanksgiving brought me another step closer toward America, the American culture and my American friends and family. I'm very great-and thankful for this experience and the memories of this incredible day lasting for forever.

Every year after we eat our Thanksgiving dinner, we take our dessert and turn on the same movie. No matter who we do Thanksgiving with or where we do Thanksgiving, while we eat dessert my family and I watch the movie "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation." Watching this movie every year brings me into the feeling that it is Thanksgiving, and Christmas is around the corner. When I get these feelings about Thanksgiving being here I look around and begin to feel instant gratitude, and I always feel so lucky and thankful to have been blessed to be in that moment. This tradition helps remind me of the spirit around the season. In the article Ms Reif says, “Generations of family and friends come out and it’s a reunion of sorts.” The Turkey Trot is a tradition for many people and this tradition brings people together with their family just as my tradition does with my family and I.

My thought on turkey trots are I wouldn't do it but it's nice thats its a thing for people who like to run or walk. I think its popular because people go as friends and a family. No I Didn't go black friday shopping this year, I did last year though. Traditions I like is going to my aunts house to eat and hangout with the family. I think the family meals will definitely continue.

My favorite thanksgiving traditions are my mom and I always cook Wednesday night and Thursday morning and we eat at noon then at 5:30 pm we go to Walmart to start black Friday shopping. I think that as I keep getting older I will keep helping my mom with dinner then go shopping with her. When I went Black Friday shopping my mom and I did a little of both.

I did take part in post thanksgiving actions, but not in the traditional way. I did nothing special. I didn't go shopping for black Friday but I did go with my grandma to Sams Club. I went with my grandma to help her pick up some water that was on sale, and we picked up some things for my aunt, who just got hip surgery. So we helped her out, too. But we didn't go to any other stores to go actual Black Friday shopping. We would have done it even if it wasn't Black Friday.

My thoughts on the turkey trots are that is probably the dumbest thing ever invented. Like, why would you want to get up early on a holiday and go run in the cold? On days like Thanksgiving all I wanna do is sleep and eat all day and relax. The events are probably popular because people either like to run or just want to get together and do something as a family. I did not go black Friday shopping because I like my sleep and staying up that late would probably kill me. I like to have the meal with my family on Thanksgiving because the food is always really good and I like to see family members I don't usually see. I think as an adult I would still enjoy the meal the most out of anything because I love Thanksgiving food and I love to eat.

Yes I was in chicago for the holiday and went black friday shopping there. On thanksgiving we had lunch with my family and dinner with my boyfriend’s family then we played poker and watched the lions play. Friday I watched the michigan game and after that went black friday shopping. The rest of the days we explored chicago and monday i went cyber shopping for cyber monday deals.

I believe Turkey Trots are a good thing for people if you are into running or any kind of physical activity and you wanna burn off some calories before or after a big Thanksgiving meal. I think these events are popular among a large number of people because the more people that do it the more other people hear of it and find interest in it. I did go Black Friday shopping this year for the first time and I only went into a couple of stores just to get stuff i needed and wanted for a cheaper price. Lastly my favorite Thanksgiving related tradition is going to one of my families house and have dinner with a bunch of family I haven't seen for couple of months and hang out with my cousins.

The only thing I did on thanksgiving was spend time with family and friends and then go home clean my room and take a nap to get ready for the long night I was going to have. The Friday after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday and this year I didn't just stay in Jackson, I went to Lansing with my and my best friend. The lines were not as bad as i’d imagine. My favorite traditions for Thanksgiving is getting together with family and having a good cooked meal along with going shopping the night/morning of.

Thanksgiving for me is very important. My family gets together at my aunt Deana's house in Toledo. Since I'm a big family person as well as the rest of my family its always a great time to catch up on life with them all. I also love to go see my favorite cousin too, since she is older by a couple of years I have always looked up to her but we have always been close. Since we go to Toledo it is a big area to shop which is perfect because all the ladies at the house love to shop! We go black Friday shopping every year its basically a family tradition.

I like the idea of the Turkey Trots because they are good ways for active family's to do something together that they enjoy. I think that these events are popular because it can become a tradition and can encourage kids to be active. My family is very into Black Friday, we go both Thursday night and Friday morning we go to local stores, we all don't enjoy looking online. My favorite thanksgiving traditions would be walking around down town Boyne City and getting the free foods and drinks the stores offer for the Christmas parade. I do not know what traditions I will continue as an adult because I do not know where I will live therefore I do not know what will be around me.

I usually do not participate in any after thanksgiving traditions, On thanksgiving day we wake up and watch the TV for a little while, While my moms making the food the whole time. Sometimes the day after we go and see my grandma in Chelsea and hang out their for the day and spend time with the family. I enjoy going to see them and see all my cousins and eat even more food. That's my post thanksgiving traditions.

Honestly Thanksgiving isn't really a holiday I enjoy that much. This past year all I did was chill in my room. our family doesn't really do anything during the holiday time too. One thing I was into that the rest of my family wasn't is Football, I love watching and playing football. Usually though I have to watch it by myself.

I did go black Friday shopping but I think thanksgiving is a time you need to spend with your family. Last year I did a turkey trot and it was fun. It was also really cold out and snow was on the ground. I enjoy thanks giving.

This year I went hardcore black Friday shopping in stores, I went all the way up to Ann Arbor. I got up at like 6 a.m., just so we could be some of the first people in the stores. I did get some very good deals this year, but I still spent way to much money. In my opinion, turkey trots seem like a fun event to partake in. They aren’t super popular where I’m from but they seem like a cool event to attend that brings communities together. I think it would be fun to try to do one in Jackson even though it will probably never happen, never to hard to try!

Some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions are getting up Thanksgiving morning and eating breakfast with my family. We wouldn't really do much but obviously the food is the best part of thanksgiving so we make the dinner every year.

I don't really care about television in general, so I don't really care about the trots. I think these sort of events are popular because of tradition. I did not partake in Black Friday at all. I do not really like any activities or traditions related to Thanksgiving. I don't really have any traditions to bring to adult hood, so I do not know which I should uncover to bring.

I did go shopping on Black Friday and I did it with big name companies like American Eagle, Victoria's secret, Bed Bath and Beyond. I feel like this is a sort of tradition for me just because I've done it for so long so why stop now? Also, it's an easy way to get Christmas gifts that are usually expensive. But, a tradition that family and I do for thanksgiving is we always watch the football games that are being televised.

For thanksgiving, I also have a big dinner with all of my family. The parents normally drink a lot and I will play with my younger cousins. I always go black Friday shopping the next day to get my Christmas gifts and find some cute clothes for cheap. Normally we go down to Ohio and do thanksgiving with my uncle, but this year we did it with my grandpa because my uncle is building and moving into his new house so he didn't have the room for a big thanksgiving.

I think the turkey trot is a great idea and a fun activity. I would like to participate in it none day. This year I didn't go black Friday shopping. I enjoy going but its so crazy it gives me anxiety. My favorite thanksgiving tradition is consuming mass amounts of food like an American and I plan on doing it for the rest of my life.

I didn't do any Thanksgiving traditions as in going out shopping for black Friday or going on a turkey trot. My family well we just eat dinner and talk for a while afterwards we eat pie which is very delicious. My family doesn't do Thanksgiving traditions because we don't really care to us its all about food and having a good time.

No I did not participate in any post holiday activities. I just stayed at home and rested. It was a busy week getting the house cleaned and cooking all the food so we were all very tired. I hate crowds and I don't have the temper to deal with all the people on Black Friday so I just stayed at home and relaxed.

Coming from a large, cooking and football loving family Thanksgiving would always be planned months in the making. My mom and I would make our portion of the meal, as would everyone else. The when three o clock was approaching we would all come together to someones house. Not to mention the large amount of family coming from out of town. We would eat and talk, then take our time cleaning up. We all slowly make our way to the television to tune into the foot ball games. All of the children would make their way out side to then throw around the football as well. After the first half of what ever game is on, almost everyone's feeling a little more up to moving around. There are always the stranglers that never make their way outside with the rest of us to join the kids in on the fun. My family partakes in an annual football game. Two hand touch of course, even though many of the guys blow over that rule. We play until we either feel sick, can't operate our stiff legs anymore or need to stop before a fight breaks out over whether or not one team managed to get the first down. I love this part the most, because everyone looks forward to it, and I love how seriously it is taken. We can look back to how ever many years ago and remember exactly who did what. This is one of those memories that I know I will always hold close to my heart because to me it really shows what the true meaning of Thanksgiving is.

A Thanksgiving tradition that means a lot to me is the Thanksgiving day football game. Danvers High School vs Gloucester High School is a holiday tradition that dates back to the 1960s. For me, it is this history that makes the game so special. It feels significant to play in a game where you are not only playing for your teammates and coaches, but also those who laced up the cleats over 50 years prior. As a freshman, I was asked to join the varsity team in their week long preparation for the big game. This was a massive moment for me and I took great pride in representing my town on that Thursday, even if my job was just to stand on the sideline. Now two years later as a junior, I stood back to field the kickoff in the below freezing temperatures as my family, friends, and former teammates watched on from the stands. The windchill brought the temperature close to 0 degrees, which was evident by those in the bleachers who were swaddled in jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves. However, I was sweating. Not a nervous sweat, but a sweat nonetheless. There was no doubt that I felt the frigid air biting at my hands and face, but it didn't bother me too much. I was too proud, too excited, too prepared for this moment to let the temperature affect me. And that is what makes the Thanksgiving day game so special for me. No matter how you see it, playing on Thanksgiving is a certain rite of passage that brings an emotion that cannot be replicated.

In my opinion, turkey trots seem like a fun event to partake in. They aren’t super popular where I’m from but they seem like a cool event to attend that brings communities together. In my town, the only Thanksgiving related event that serves as a kind of “reunion” is the annual Thanksgiving football game. Every year, my high school football team plays our rival town on Thanksgiving morning and almost everyone in town comes home and attends the game. I really like it and I like seeing people who I haven’t seen in a while. I feel like that is one of the main reasons why people enjoy these huge events so much. Everyone gets to see people they haven’t seen in a while and catch up and just reminisce and relax. Another annual event that I enjoy to partake in is Black Friday. Although this year I am choosing to wait until cyber Monday to do most of my shopping because I feel like it is less stressful to shop online rather than in stores. I really enjoy partaking in this every year and i probably will when I become and adult and get older as well. Overall, I feel like traditions are really great for everyone to have no matter what your age is or where you are in life.

Some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions are getting up Thanksgiving morning and eating breakfast with my family while watching the parade on TV, getting together with family and eating Thanksgiving foods, and Black Friday shopping. We all help prepare food and spend time with each other as we do it. I like these traditions because it is a set thing we do every year and I get to share that time with family and friends. Shannon writes, quoting Reif the organizer of the Y.M.C.A Turkey Trot, “Generations of family and friends come out and it’s a reunion of sorts” (Shannon, 2018, para. 5). Many people have reunions and gather together. A Turkey trot is just another example of a tradition. On Black Friday, I did go shopping after I worked. I work retail, so after a long shift from 8:00pm - 3:00am, I went shopping with some co-workers. I was so tired but it was something I do every year and getting a job was not stopping me from getting a head start on Christmas shopping and spending time with friends.

I believe that a turkey trot is a refreshing way to get with your community. People also have fun while participating, especially those who set goals that they can accomplish. It can also be a good bonding experience for friends and loved ones. I usually don’t like large crowds, but for something like this, it would be a cool experience. Among the many “Post-holiday(Doyne, 2018, para.1)” traditions, I haven’t participated in a turkey trot. I believe it would be a refreshing way to do something together. I usually don’t do anything with a large number of people because, from my experience, it gets chaotic and very loud. The difference between that and a turkey trot is that everyone is looking ahead and pushing each other to reach similar goals. Whether it is to reach the finish line or to make new friends, it will be a good idea to participate, and while doing so make goals.