What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving memories/traditions when you were growing up?

[BringBackFergy]

On 11/23/2023 at 4:19 PM, Bad Things said:

My favorite memories are simply just remembering family.

It's been a long time since I moved away from home and now just about all of my NY family have passed.

 

My parents were German immigrants and they, along with our other extended German/American family made every holiday feel special.

They were old-school people that hearkened back to a different era, and fully embraced American Thanksgiving.

 

I especially think about my parents and my Oma, and the struggles that they went through to escape East Germany to begin a new life in America.

For our family, Thanksgiving was always a time to reflect and truly give thanks for what we all had.

 

And boy, could those old German women cook!

The amount of food that they made was insane.

 

I hope you all have a great holiday up there.

 

Go Bills.

Shiller Park or the Fruit Belt? German grandparents on both sides of family. Cook good food and clean house. Immaculate. Type A/OCD bloodlines. 

[WhoTom]

Nuts.

 

No, I don't mean my family, although it would probably apply too.

 

A couple of hours after an early afternoon dinner, Mom would put out a few bowls of nuts - almonds, filberts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans - and some nutcrackers. Then she'd pull out the chestnuts. My older brother and I would pierce them before they went into the oven. We'd munch on the other nuts while the chestnuts were roasting. 

 

Also, when I was a teenager, my older brothers taught me how to play poker. Family gatherings often included a friendly nickel-and-dime game, usually featuring me, my two brothers, and my brother-in-law. On a rare occasion, Mom would sit in for a few hands. Dad never did, but I know he used to play poker when he was in the Navy. Even though I was a noob, they didn't take advantage of me. They even let me know when I had a "tell." For some unknown reason, that tradition faded and I haven't played poker since.

 

 

[Augie]

On 11/25/2023 at 3:37 PM, WhoTom said:

Nuts.

 

No, I don't mean my family, although it would probably apply too.

 

A couple of hours after an early afternoon dinner, Mom would put out a few bowls of nuts - almonds, filberts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans - and some nutcrackers. Then she'd pull out the chestnuts. My older brother and I would pierce them before they went into the oven. We'd munch on the other nuts while the chestnuts were roasting. 

 

Also, when I was a teenager, my older brothers taught me how to play poker. Family gatherings often included a friendly nickel-and-dime game, usually featuring me, my two brothers, and my brother-in-law. On a rare occasion, Mom would sit in for a few hands. Dad never did, but I know he used to play poker when he was in the Navy. Even though I was a noob, they didn't take advantage of me. They even let me know when I had a "tell." For some unknown reason, that tradition faded and I haven't played poker since.

 

 

 

My wife made a ton of pecans covered in melted butter and salt, then toasted in the oven for a while. We had leftovers with neighbors who dropped over for a glass of wine last night. None of us could stop eating them! My wife threw out what was leftover this morning to protect us from ourselves. How could something so simple be so good? 

 

She plans to make another batch as gifts for neighbors. The trick will be not eating them before they are delivered. 

 

 

.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Augie

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Really bad cereal party mixes.

Who puts Raisin Bran in their party mix?! 🤨

[Joe Ferguson forever]

my niece lives in Raleigh.  We meet her, her husband and their two boys age 4 and 6 now, every year at the beach.  always happy memories....I bet that I'd swim in the ocean if the bills won last year on thanksgiving.  Cold but fun...broke a boogie board in the surf.

Edited November 27, 2023 by Joe Ferguson forever