What Makes My (Turkey) Day

Nearly everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving sits down to the same classics: turkey (Americans buy about 45 million!), a starchorama of sides, maybe that canned cranberry sauce with the uncannily perfect ridges. But what makes the day truly special is our family traditions. In the spirit of sharing, we’ve gathered a cornucopia of rituals from REAL SIMPLE staffers and friends.

A Sweet Start

My family is a mix of Alaska Native (Inupiaq) and Native American (Waccamaw Siouan), and for as long as I can remember, we’ve had a saying: “Native Americans eat pie for breakfast.” We have no idea where it came from, but it’s a good enough excuse for us. We bake the day before and eat pie in the morning before we cook.

HANNAH DOROUGH, REAL SIMPLE’S ASSISTANT EDITOR

Out on a High Note

Our Thanksgivings have always been raucous affairs. We cook in my mother’s tiny New York City kitchen, with my dad taking up the counter to pour a round of martinis and my sister trying to sneak apples into the stuffing. At the end of the meal, after my grandfather performs his traditional amateur magic show—and after many glasses of wine—we get to the real party: the singalong. My dad plays guitar, and we know his entire repertoire, from the Band to the Beatles. We make a pretty good family band.

J. KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT, AUTHOR OF THE WOK, THE FOOD LAB, AND EVERY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT

Warm and Fuzzy Feelings

When I lived in Tennessee, my twin sisters worked in retirement homes. Our family Thanksgiving ritual was to visit the residents and bring them warm, cozy socks. Years later, we learned that when people would ask what to donate, warm socks were at the top of the list.

The Best Seats in the House

In middle school, I found out that on the West Coast, where we lived, the Macy’s parade wasn’t televised live. By the time I saw the clowns strutting down Broadway, they were already home eating mashed potatoes. I swore that one day, I’d see it in person. Years later, I was living in New Jersey (14 miles from Manhattan!) with my wife and four kids, most of whom love the parade too, and decided it was time to make my wish come true. The kids looked at me as if I’d suggested hopping into the space shuttle. In their minds, the parade was meant to be viewed from our cozy couch, not out in the cold—and I realized they were right. So we watch it on TV, like almost everybody else. But the tradition is special to me because after all this time, I know I’m right where I belong.

MAYA KUKES, REAL SIMPLE’S CONTRIBUTING SENIOR RESEARCH EDITOR

Bone of Contention

We all hate turkey, but we still cook one out of obligation—mostly so my dad and I can snap the wishbone. Having dibs on it every year is one of the best parts of being an only child. The next day?

Turkey salad! We may not like the big roasted bird, but we’ll fight each other for a turkey salad sandwich.

LISA D DESANTIS, REAL SIMPLE’S DEPUTY BEAUTY DIRECTOR SANTIS,

Wild Guesses

Most of my family’s Thanksgiving traditions revolve around cream cheese. (I grew up in Wisconsin.) And my husband comes from a Fishbowl family. Fishbowl is a guessing game that combines charades, Password, and Taboo, so our holidays consist of chips, creamy dips, and yelling, “No, the other Olsen twin!”

MIA MERCADO, AUTHOR OF SHE’S NICE THOUGH: ESSAYS ON BEING

That’s Amore

My family is of Italian heritage. We always have the traditional Thanksgiving spread along with lasagna and meatballs, which I help my grandmother and mom make leading up to Thanksgiving. I grew up in the same household as my grandmother, so I’m very close with her. Making her Italian recipes, which she got from her mother, helps keep traditions alive. We make close to 100 meatballs, and while we put in a lot of effort, we put in a lot of love too. Our Italian food defines Thanksgiving as much as the turkey does.

A Fetching Sight

For us, the day’s TV highlight is the National Dog Show. We pull for the Havanese in honor of our own, Pepper. It’s fun to see the variety—the really big, really small, really fluffy, and sometimes kinda ugly dogs. And one of the hosts is John O’Hurley, the guy who played J. Peterman on Seinfeld. The whole thing is a delight.

JENNA HELWIG, REAL SIMPLE’S FOOD DIRECTOR

Kindred Spirits

My parents throw a Bloody Mary party on Thanksgiving morning for the friends and family who aren’t coming to dinner. There’s a Bloody Mary bar with toppings—celery, dill pickles, blue-cheese-stuffed olives, limes—and appetizers, like baconwrapped duck and pheasant. It’s the perfect way to spend time with people we wouldn’t otherwise see.

LILY GRAY, ASSOCIATE HOME COMMERCE COMMERCE EDITOR AT DOTDASH MEREDITH

Happy Returns

Keeping the Flame

My dad always grilled our Thanksgiving turkey. It was never seamless, but it was always delicious. (My husband used to joke that he ditched his own family because our turkey was so good.) Unfortunately, my dad passed away suddenly at the start of the pandemic. I have a lot of regrets, and I particularly wish one of us had learned his turkey-grilling secrets. The last few years, we’ve just picked up a few Costco rotisserie chickens. It hasn’t been the same, obviously, so we’re going to give the grill a go this year. I’m sure the attempt won’t even compare to his handiwork, but at least his tradition will continue.

LISA FREEDMAN, REAL SIMPLE’S EXECUTIVE EDITOR

We do a live call-in Thanksgiving Day radio show called Turkey Confidential, which we record in St. Paul, Minnesota, so I actually spend Thanksgiving about 1,000 miles away from my family in New York. I get back home just in time to have pie that night with my wife and daughter and our neighbors, who take them in every year as guests. So yes, the “My turkey is burning, help me save it!” guy has not had to make a turkey himself for about 15 years. But that welcomehome slice of pie? Heaven.

FRANCIS LAM, HOST OF AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA’S THE SPLENDID TABLE