Our Team’s Thanksgiving Traditions

As we prepare to gather with our families for Thanksgiving, we pause to thank you, our readers, for your continued support. We are thankful to be serving you and your students.

Thanksgiving is full of meaningful and fun traditions, and our team compiled some of our favorites below. Check them out, then be sure to leave your own in the comments at the bottom of the page:

Bob Rogers

Tami & Todd’s grandmother would cook an Italian dinner consisting of her homemade lasagna first. Then she would serve us a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings. Needless to say it was quite a feast on Thanksgiving Day.

Tami Rogers

We all write down why we are thankful for each family member at our dinner on the back of their place card, and then we all read what everyone had to say about us before we say grace.

Todd Rogers

Our tradition used to consist of an Italian meal (lasagna, meatballs, sausage, braciole, and garlic bread) followed by an hour break, before continuing with the traditional turkey meal including stuffing and pumpkin pie. You would be full for days. Our Thanksgiving tradition now is in Orlando, FL, for the Thanksgiving Parade of Bands at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Katie Mokrzycki

My family heads to Maggiano’s Little Italy for Thanksgiving Dinner! Yes, they serve turkey! We let the professionals cook & clean up – (and we always go home with a TON of leftovers)!

Dan Stuby

For the past few years, I have enjoyed spending my Thanksgiving in sunny Florida, as part of the production team for the Thanksgiving Parade of Bands at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Tammy Bainter

My sister and I are the “bakers” in the family….we bake all the sweets and create a fun dessert display for about 50-60 relatives.

Jacki Kaluzn

My family spends Thanksgiving Day eating junk food and having a movie marathon!  We then celebrate the weekend after when all the Kaluzny men get home from deer hunting.

Todd Wessel

We go to one grandma’s house for lunch, and then we head to another grandma’s house in evening.  We have a traditional Thanksgiving meal at each.

Frank Policicchio

My extended family gets together at Thanksgiving but is unable to get together at Christmas.  To make up for not getting together for Christmas, a family member dresses up as Santa Claus on Thanksgiving and hands out small gifts to the entire family. It means a lot to the kids, and the adult picked to be Santa Claus always dreads putting on that old Santa Claus suit!

Pete Chinnici

Traditionally we retire to the den after a big thanksgiving dinner and watch The Christmas Story. Everyone goes into a food coma and we drift off into a post meal nap. We then get up and have a dessert party and repeat the process over again.

Stacey Kilroy

My dad’s immediate family is about 40 family members. So on the years we are with them, we all bring a dish or two. There are at least 3 turkeys and the spread looks like the Golden Corral buffet. We eat in the heated garage with the big screen TV watching football.

Sarah Rio

We head my husband’s aunt’s house in Palos Heights for an early, long traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the family (3-7 pm).  We make sure to clean up so we can pack leftovers, which we eat on Friday while enjoying time together, away from work & daycare.

Lisa Kennedy

Our tradition is getting together with family at mom’s house.  Everyone brings a dish to share.  It’s a day of family togetherness with great food, fun games, and football on TV.

Brian Rogers

Each year we have an early family dinner at my parents’ house and then fall asleep while watching the Detroit Lions game. After the football game, we play Pictionary all evening.

Tom Dillon

Thanksgiving starts a week or so earlier as we ask friends who are not going to be with family for the day to join us. Then we come together to give thanks for all we have been blessed with, and to enjoy a great day of food, wine, laughter and friendship.

Melony Kohlmeier

After everyone has enjoyed Thanksgiving
dinner, my entire family bundles up and heads outside to play football.

Caro Uhlemann-Short

The traditions for our family start just a few days after Thanksgiving with our daughter’s birthday, family picture and the first day of December.  Elf on the shelve returns (if the girls were good) and we get to open the first door of our Advent Calendar. Aside from chocolate, Stollen is a tasty dessert during that time of the year.

Marybeth Coyne

We always have a fun time with lots of extended family. The fun is all working together to prepare dinner with my husband and kids, and then welcome all of the extended family for lots of eating and drinking. We then take a long walk after dinner to work off the calories until the dessert table is ready. We do make a point of each saying a few words of gratitude (specific things we are thankful for) along with the prayer.

Susan Rodriguez

Every Thanksgiving, any of my family and in-laws who are in town (anywhere from 5 – 35 people!) get together.  We cook ridiculous amounts of food, eat until we’re stuffed, and watch football together.

Michelle Maloney

Every year my family gets together, eats a lot of food, and watches football. Basically the typical, family thanksgiving. One tradition that we started two years ago is making a turkey-shaped vegetable platter for the family to share. The family gobbles it up! Props to Pinterest!

Jeff McLain

My daughter’s birthday is on the 25th of November. Although the 25th doesn’t always fall on Thanksgiving day, it’s close enough that we’ve made it a tradition to combine Thanksgiving day dinner and her birthday party. The long holiday weekend has always been one of my favorite (since I’ve never worked in retail) and most anticipated holidays of the year, as it kicks off the holiday season and we get to celebrate my little girl’s birthday with my entire family.

Nathan Voges

Since I am far removed from my immediate family, I enjoy spending time with other families on Thanksgiving. I have a running invitation now with a family that’s included me for the last three years, and I will be joining them again!

Share your family’s Thanksgiving traditions in the comments below. From all of us at Bob Rogers Travel, Happy Thanksgiving!