This time of year is jam packed with holidays and celebrations, but honestly, it can sometimes get overwhelming. For example, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I don’t feel like we celebrate it enough. There are no Thanksgiving songs, and I see way fewer decorations for it than I do for other holidays. IIf you’re like me, however, and want to get yourself into the Thanksgiving mood, I suggest taking to following steps to get you and your friends in the spirit.
1. Bake Thanksgiving Desserts Early Pies aren’t just great for the actual holiday itself. Making a pie with friends can be the perfect mood setter, and with ready-made crusts, it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are also plenty of other dessert options; leaf and turkey shaped cookies, pumpkin flavored anything, you name it. Find something that sounds yummy and get to baking!
2. Make a “Thankful” Wall/Board If you have a whiteboard/chalkboard/bulletin board, now is the time to change it so that people can write about what they’re thankful for. You could also use notecards, string or whatever hanging methods you prefer if you want to make it ever cuter. Have everyone write down things that they are thankful for and leave it hanging for visitors to come see! It’ll be a nice reminder of what Thanksgiving is supposed to mean.
3. Host a Thanksgiving Potluck Have a bunch of friends bring some small dishes and just hang out for dinner one night. Everyone should take a break, no one needs to worry about finals for the couple of hours you’re together. It’ll be a time for everyone just to appreciate each other’s presence can how your friends in college can really become a second family.
4. Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Hands down, this is the best Thanksgiving movie out there (and the only one that I can ever really remember watching as a child). It’s a cult classic. You can’t go wrong with the Peanuts, and it’ll certainly been a nice time. Plus it’s a nice lesson on how not to treat your friends (“I’ll hold the ball and you’ll kick”).
5. Thanksgiving Pumpkins Yes, Jack-o- lanterns seem very Halloween-y, but gourds are a very Thanksgiving decoration too. You can get a series of small, colorful ones that can be arranged nicely on the table, or you can even buy a large pumpkin and carve a turkey into it. Using a knife can be a nice de-stresser as well, so all in all, it’s a great way to both keep calm and get you into the Thanksgiving spirit.