How To Celebrate Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the quintessential American holidays and is always celebrated on the last Thursday of November every year. So whether you’re an American away from home, or someone who just wants to enjoy the celebrations, you can embrace the spirit of gratitude, togetherness, and a delicious feast wherever you are in the world. From decorating the house to honouring the traditions, here’s how to mark the occasion in the UK.

For the Hosts

Host Loved Ones

Thanksgiving is all about spending quality time with those special people in your life, so the first step is to invite friends and family to join in the festivities. Theme your invitations, whether it’s a posted invitation or a simple email, and set the tone everyone join together for a day of gratitude.

Deck The Halls

Decorate For The Season

While you could go all out with a red, white and blue theme, traditionally, Americans love to use autumnal colours and motifs when decorating their homes for Thanksgiving - think rich browns, cherry reds and warm oranges, alongside symbols of reaping the harvest, such as pumpkins and gourds. You can use pinecones, chestnuts and cranberries on the table as a centrepiece instead of flowers, and large pumpkins to decorate the doorstep.

Take inspiration from Meredith Hayden and make your own Pumpkin display! A sustainable way to decorate for the season.

From 8 to 88

Engage All Ages

As Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, get everyone to be involved by assigning each family member or friend a course to cook - and get the kids to help in the kitchen. If the kitchen is all sorted, then setting the table is a simple way to involve them! Everyone will enjoy the feast more if they’ve played their part.

A recipe worth incorporating in your menu is our perfect Cranberry Sauce. In 2023, we partnered with Condiment Claire to bring you her cranberry recipe, the most amazing pairing for your meat dishes. Super easy and a kid-friendly task.

The Core of It all

Be Thankful

It might seem like we’re stating the obvious, but gratitude is the central theme of Thanksgiving so don’t forget to take some time to reflect on what has enriched your life this past year. A nice way to do this is to go around the table and ask everyone to share something they’re thankful for. If some people feel a bit too self-conscious (or British!) to do this, you could all write them down anonymously on a slip of paper, fold them and put them in a bowl, then take it in turns to pick one out and read it aloud.

Get The Table Ready

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

Any Thanksgiving celebration is, of course, all about the food. Not dissimilar from a British spread at Christmas, traditional dishes include roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes so all the Brits will feel at home, but be sure to add some classic American dishes including corn pudding or biscuits.

The Baked Goods

Pie Perfection

The highlight of a Thanksgiving feast is a classic American pie so be sure to have a selection to serve. If you're pressed for time, ask the guests to help out!

Classics like pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie are always a hit and will ensure your guests experience all the festive feels.

For Entertainment

Enjoy The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Did you know that this iconic parade, from the New York department store Macy’s, has been running since 1924? It features marching bands, musical guests, dancers, floats, and giant balloons. Because it’s on in the morning Stateside, that’s perfect timing for us to watch it after lunch - the ideal show to settle down to watch on the sofa while you digest your feast!

Kick a ball

Tune Into American Football

The Parade isn’t the only traditional viewing on Thanksgiving; there’s always a professional American football game too. The National Football League (NFL) has played games on Thanksgiving every year since 1920 so check when it’s on and enjoy some typical American sports.

And if you're not into the sport, make sure to tune in for all the fun celebrity spotting!

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