“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
-William Arthur Ward
Thanksgiving is a chance for loved ones, be it family or friends, to come together and catch up on new life happenings and just be together. Old traditions passed down from generations give you a chance to take a step back into the past and remember the good ole’ days. And new traditions are formed to spark hope and excitement for things to come.
Before the cooking begins on the big day, you’re either watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or getting riled up about a football game. Sneaking into the kitchen amid all the glorious aromas and grabbing your favorite holiday cocktail. According to Food & Wine, 63 percent of people are loyal to wine as their Thanksgiving drink of choice. With the remaining percentage preferring mixed concoctions. Drinking on holidays is a way to commemorate the special occasion and show your appreciation to your family and the ones who are hard at work all day creating the perfect meal for their loved ones.
Whether you roast your turkey or fry it, not many will argue that the bird is an essential part of any family’s Thanksgiving tradition. Did you know that every year the President of the United States receives a gift of two live turkeys? He “pardons them” and donates them to live along life on a nearby farm. This should make you feel a little better about what you grew up doing every year on Thanksgiving.
Conversations flow about what your favorite dish is, what you’re bringing this year to the family meal, etc. In the South, it’s sweet potato pie. Northern families prefer yams and handmade cranberry sauce, while Southerners usually love the kind you can buy in a can. We love that feeling of nostalgia as soon as you taste all of those delicious fixings.
No matter what your traditions are, we would like to encourage a conscious appreciation this Thanksgiving. Regardless of your surroundings or who you’re celebrating with, there is always something to be thankful for. And in our humble opinion, it’s awfully hard to be in a bad mood when you count the many reasons you have to be grateful. After all, grateful heart is a happy heart.
Cheers to you this holiday season! And most importantly, cheers to the the cooks in the kitchen. Without you, there’d be no turkey!