Thanksgiving: Messing with Tradition or Not

I am trying to keep the Christmas decorations in the closet until after Thanksgiving. But it has been tough. I've been weakening since Labor Day. Not. Well, maybe I've been humming Christmas carols just a little.

Looks like someone tried to turn a Christmas nativity into a Thanksgiving scene. The seasons are blurring.

Still, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year. Something about the food coma, family, football, the endless variations of pumpkin pie.  I used to add the start of Christmas movies to my list but those have been going on for a while now too. Yes, I've indulged.

Yep, this is upside down for a reason. Reading a new biography of Rockwell kind of turned me upside down when it came to what I knew about the famous artist and his time.

With all the talk about stores opening on Thanksgiving (ugh, I prefer the after meal walk outside, not walk around the mall) and reading a new biography about Norman Rockwell, I've been thinking about what a "traditional" Thanksgiving really means. Many folks are familiar with his "Freedom from Want" poster featuring a family around a table eagerly awaiting the turkey Grandma is about to set down. Folks take as the representation of a traditional Thanksgiving. When you read the background on Rockwell, you realize how nontraditional he was in real life. 

I know people eat strange things at Thanksgiving and have weird superstitions when it comes to football. Come on, confess.

I grew up going to Grandma's house or visiting my parents' and in laws after we were married. Then my son started having kids. We have rotated between his in laws, his house and ours the past years. Over the years, we've added new must-have dishes to our Thanksgiving feast like my daughter in law's stellar apple pie. It sits beside the green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, little sweet pickles and olives my mom always had, my mother in law's rolls, ManO's carrots and the turkey.

But sadly, my grandson refuses to eat his mom's apple pie. He is a pumpkin traditionalist and he's only five years old. And his sister follows his lead. So their mommy made a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin and now they look at her in awe. Another new tradition was born for this holiday season.

What are must haves for Thanksgiving dinner? I checked with friends.  What a list!

• Two kinds of stuffing (bread or cornbread) was mentioned several times. That one made me chuckle because my mom used both in her recipe.
• Don't ask people about cranberry relish because everyone's mama has a different recipe. Virginia has cranberry-orange relish like my mom made.  Some folks just hide the Ocean Spray cranberry can or call it "turkey jello" like my friend Kelly's family does.
• Pie! It's not just pumpkin.  It's sweet potato pecan, peanut butter, lemon meringue. Missy's pecan pie was featured yesterday in Yankee Belle.
• Pasta shows up at quite a few homes with Italian roots. Lasagna at one. Homemade ravioli at another. And then there was Mary Connealy's family who has spaghetti instead of turkey sandwiches on Thanksgiving night. I wouldn't expect anything less from her brood.
• Pintos and cornbread, creamed corn, and other veggies are served as much to honor a departed loved one as anything.

Some even spare the turkey. Gasp! And go with ham!

My dad and his wife have a flock of wild turkeys who visit daily to be fed. How do they look them in the eye?

So, what is your Thanksgiving Traditional Dish That MUST be served? Have you ever had an nontraditional Thanksgiving meal or dish and have it flop? Or did a new tradition start?