Thanksgiving traditions and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Thanksgiving is a day for family. Every year on the 4th Thursday of November we gather and give thanks for what we have. Thanksgiving mornings were spent in the kitchen either with my mother or in my own house with the turkey in the oven and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on in the background. The smells and sounds bring back the warm memories and one particular holiday that wasn’t spent in a kitchen.
Many years ago, my brother was living in NYC’s Hell Kitchen in a 5th-floor walkup. We all decided to travel by train and spend Thanksgiving in the city and go the parade. I’m going to tell you now, if you never witnessed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in person, you are missing one of the wonders of the world. Watching it on TV is a tradition, but to experience it firsthand is ethereal.
The balloons are enormous and as they pass by, they eclipse the entire sky above. If you reach out, you can almost touch them. I’ll never forget the experience of the parade with my mom and then future husband.
Traditions are important and to pass down from one generation to another. Especially the ones that are holiday inspired. My mom would tell me stories about growing up and the struggles they had being a family of 7. One such story that has turned into a tradition is the Thanksgiving Day turkey. One year the family couldn’t afford a turkey, so her mom made meatloaf and shaped it into a turkey. I thought this was a fabulous family story and I turned it into a tradition. Each Friday the day after Thanksgiving, we have meatloaf shaped into a turkey.
My mom is my inspiration to cook. I have many of her recipes, along with my mother-in-law’s and some healthy living tips. I hope to share them with you in the coming months.
So, tell me. What holiday traditions do you treasure?
Happy Thanksgiving,
JK