The Forgotten Holiday

  This probably isn't the first hand-turkey you've seen.  And it's probably not the most impressive- but when I walk past this roughed-up piece of scrap paper hanging in my kitchen, I can help but feel a little burning in my nose and tears forming in my eyes as my heart swells to three times the size like the Grinch on Christmas day.

When we left church this Sunday I only thought briefly of the piece of scrap paper secured under my arm as I passed-off the baby to my husband and led our 2 and a half year old out to the car.  A puddle caught his eye and he wanted to jump in it.  (...in his church clothes)  I kind of let him briefly as I was having a moment of "Hey- This is a memory!" before I remembered I didn't want to deal with the sopping wet child on the drive home.

So I led him the rest of the way to the car and after he was strapped-in I settled into my own seat and glanced down at the paper now in my lap.  I hadn't noticed the little orange hand before.  Someone had obviously helped him trace it (he can use a fork but I'm pretty sure hand-tracing is well beyond his current dexterity skills) and they had also quickly sketched a little turkey-face on the thumb.

While I'm sure my son was more in awe of the process than the end product, (Orange and green ARE two of his favorite colors right now and those scribbles are definitely his.) it was still a tender moment for me as a mom realizing that he's starting to get to that age of awareness- where holidays are actually a thing.  An exciting period of time where things are special.  He may not remember THIS turkey-hand, but he will remember making them.  And he will probably make plenty of them.  Then one day- when he's a father with his own children... he will probably get that same butterfly-feeling I'm having when he realizes that his children are old enough to grasp the concept of "This is your hand- and now it's a turkey!"

Halloween was fun this year.  He is pretty much OBSESSED with pumpkins right now.  He's recently learned the word "scary" and he loves being a monster/dinosaur/lion etc... in the mirror making the scariest growls and snarls with his hands up like claws.  But once Halloween was over- so was the holiday-high and I found my brain on auto-pilot towards Christmas.

While part of this is the fact that we are making travel plans, budgeting shopping for presents, and being bombarded with Christmas commercials- part of it is the fact that that I feel like Thanksgiving has pretty much become a forgotten holiday.  Sure- we make plans with extended family or friends and we eat turkey...but that's pretty much it.  Almost like a pre-Christmas if you will.

This year my husband and I will be celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary on Thanksgiving!  We were married on Black Friday in 2008...and we may or may not of had a friend buy our tv set using my husband's smart phone while we were having our first dance. (In our defense it was a good deal and it's still working great!)  We thought the thanksgiving anniversary was pretty cute- because we're "thankful" for each other and all... but the holiday still wasn't making the "special" status in my book that I remember it reaching when I was a child.

And I don't think I'm alone.

[Image Source: Here]

On one hand we mourn the loss of that glorious holiday from our childhoods... and yet we skim right over the month putting up Christmas trees and looking for shopping deals. In reality- no one is really blaming you, Christmas is AWESOME.  It's only human nature to want to get to it as soon as humanly possible.  And you're not alone.  We complain that stores are putting out Christmas stuff earlier and earlier- yet someone has to be buying it or they wouldn't have it out so early. And that someone is us.

I want to say once and for all- that there is nothing wrong with being excited about Christmas.  But we can't have our cake and eat it too.  You can't be upset that there's no Thanksgiving if you're not making an active effort to make a Thanksgiving.  Holidays don't celebrate themselves.

So, as I've been staring at this hand-tukey for the past couple of days, I've come to a personal conclusion.  Thanksgiving is back on.  The stores may not agree with me- some of my facebook friends may not agree with me- and the media may not agree with me- but in our house, we are celebrating!

Here are Eleven ways to celebrate this Tukey-rific time of year:

1.) Draw a Hand-Turkey!

A classic.  Make it simple- make it intricate.  Go big, go small.  Hang them up- hand them out- let those turkey-hands shine!  I am a firm believer that these childhood memory-boosters can turn any cold turkey heart warm and toasty.

2.) Spread out the joy

You may think I'm referring to cranberry sauce or butter- but no- I'm looking at the bigger picture.  Some of the most well-loved holidays (think Halloween, Christmas, etc...) are celebrated ALL MONTH LONG!  Thanksgiving is so often limited to a one or two day event.  (Or less if you count the fact that most of us sleep nearly all day after stuffing ourselves silly.)  Try and get in the spirit now while November is still new.  Some of the best holiday memories are the activities you do in anticipation of the actual event.  

3.) Make Plans

It's really tempting to sit at home doing nothing- especially if you don't have kids at home.  You have the day off work, most people are busy with their families, the air is nice and cool... sounds like perfect napping/lounging conditions.  And while that may be ok for some people- we are celebrating!  Make an effort to find something fun to do.  Even if you don't have family in the area, there are often lots of "orphan thanksgiving" events you can attend.  Consider asking around at work, church, or finding a group through meetup.com.

4.) Dress-up

When I was little my family would always dress-up for Thanksgiving.  I'm not talking khakis and nice sweaters.  I'm talking construction paper pilgrims and indians. And of course- someone always had to dress-up as the turkey. (Sorry dad!)  This doesn't have to be limited to a childrens-only event.  It can be a lot of fun for the laid-back Thanksgiving environment (although khakis and sweaters are fine too).  Try checking out Pinterest for ideas on how to make some DIY costumes.

5.) Watch some holiday specials

Christmas isn't the only time of year with holiday specials!  Try watching some Thanksgiving episodes of your favorite television shows to help set the mood.

6.) Count your blessings

There are about a thousand and one ways you can do this.  One of the easiest/most popular that I've seen is to write a daily facebook status post with something that you are thankful for.  While this can be slightly obnoxious for your more bah-humbug facebook friends- there are bound to be a few who appreciate your positive attitude. (and you're doing this for you!)  When I was a child I remember my mom making a paper turkey and each day in November my brothers and I would add a paper tail-feather to it with something we were thankful for written on it.

7.) Make some holiday-themed treats

Have some pumpkin pie or make some turkey-shaped cookies anytime this month.  The treats don't have to be limited to the day-of. (You can always work out before swimsuit season anyway.)

8.) Decorate

Many of your halloween decorations can be re-utilized for thanksgiving.  Turn those plastic jack-o-lanterns around for some plain pumpkins to help set the harvest-mood.  Print some thanksgiving-printable subway art to hang around the house to remind you what Thanksgiving is all about.

9.) Accessorize

Paint your nails with a turkey or autumn-leaf theme.  Make a seasonal t-shirt or some onesies for the littlest turkeys in your family.

10.) Have a Party

Many people are busy with their families on actual thanksgiving.  If you want to extend the holiday-fun to more than just family you could consider throwing a pre-thanksgiving party.  This is bound to be a hit with kids who love any excuse to play games and eat goodies. (...did I say kids? I meant me.)

11.) Check out our Pinterest Page!

Our authors will be busy pinning some of our favorite Thanksgiving-related pins (Including the pictures above with their related links) onto our Thanksgiving page: 

(Clicking this will take you to our Thanksgiving Pinterest Page)

Happy Turkey Day!