Thanksgiving is one of the most popular holidays in the U.S., and it is full of traditions. Some are shared throughout most families, such as eating turkey; however, some are much more family specific, like drinking mimosas and watching movies.

In celebration of this great day, some of the Nicholls Worth staff has decided to share their families’ favorite Thanksgiving traditions in hopes that other families may be able to take part in the same enjoyment!

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Evan Cressoine

Waking up, smelling the fresh fall air and dressing nice for a family dinner are some of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving Day. However, the day cannot truly start until the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade comes on the television. As soon as I hear the hosts’ voices and watch the crowded streets of New York City, then it feels like Thanksgiving. 

My mother and sisters fill the kitchen, preparing for the feast. My dad and brothers play football in the street or, in their later years, sit around watching football on the television. However, I am parked right in front of the screen that’s lighting up with colorful balloons and dancers. The floats, the performers, the glimpse of Broadway numbers, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has always been a special tradition to me. I’ve simply loved it ever since I was a kid. 

Everyone in my family prioritizes the parade on Thanksgiving. As she cooks, my mom glances up between stirs. My sisters run back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, being sure to not miss their favorite musicians. Sometimes, they will sit down and watch the marching bands, reminiscing about the days they played in band in high school. 

My dad will peek his head in to see the floats and to check out the crowds, every now and then stopping to ask who the new performing artist is. Even the eye rolls complete the holiday spirit. 

Of course, ever since my sisters had children, they wait and wait for Santa Claus at the end; I never watch and wait for Santa. I’m never curious about the big crowds or the new balloons. I watch for the Rockettes. 

Ever since I was little, the Rockettes have always been my favorite part of the parade. As a dancer myself, I had dreamed of becoming one of them one day, and while I may not share the exact same passions as my seven year old self, I still stand in the living room and kick my legs to their routine. I watch as they all move, perfectly synchronized, how they are all together but one at the same time. 

Now, my eleven year old niece joins me as we laugh and dance and smell the feast cooking in the kitchen. Once the parade is over, we will sit around the table, say grace, and share what we are thankful for. But watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has always been the best tradition. It just is not Thanksgiving without the Rockettes. 

NFL Football: Brogan Burns

Thanksgiving and football… you almost can not have one without the other. The NFL has indelibly left their mark on Thanksgiving, just as they have on Sunday. 

I have loved football for as long as I can remember. The way the thrill, tradition and passion find a way to bring people together has always spoken to me. It is beautiful to see how one thing can bring together millions of people across thousands of miles.

Since the NFL’s humble Thanksgiving beginning in 1934 with a game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, it has blossomed into a slate of three games each Thanksgiving Day. This slate still includes the Detroit Lions every year.

Ever since this glorious beginning, it has been football first and food second

In 1966, the Cowboys also gained their annual Thanksgiving game when general manager Tex Schramm signed up for the holiday game in hopes to gain more national attention.

Schramm’s wish would come to fruition in the 1970s when they won their first Super Bowl behind Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. The Cowboys really came on in the 1990s when they won 3 Super Bowls and earned the title of “America’s Team.”

Some may argue that in recent years, the Lions and Cowboys have not deserved Thanksgiving games after recent lackluster seasons; but it is a tradition with a lot of history, and without tradition, the NFL would not be as big as it is today.

This Thanksgiving, you can catch me and countless families across the country in front of the television when the Lions kick off until the last game ends around 10:00 p.m. 

This year’s Thanksgiving Football Schedule:

Bears at Lions 11:30 a.m. CST on FOX

Raiders at Cowboys 3:30 p.m. CST on CBS

Bills at Saints 7:20 p.m. CST on NBC

Like many others in this part of the country, I grew up a Saints fan. However, my memory only goes back far enough to those mediocre years that we suffered through, so it brings me so much joy to see them in the Primetime Thanksgiving Game. This is the game that I will be most excited for this year.

Whether you find your way to the television for football games this upcoming Thursday, or you have another important tradition, have a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you keep your traditions going strong!

Breakfast Mimosas:Raegan Chiasson

My family, like many, have our own unique Thanksgiving traditions.  Thanksgiving dinner is, of course, the main tradition for many families, but what does each family do throughout the day until then?

Many families like to start the day with breakfast, and then may choose to eat a normal lunch for Thanksgiving lunch.  However, my family does things a little differently.  

Rather than eating breakfast Thanksgiving morning, we drink mimosas while watching either football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Most years, my family does a Thanksgiving lunch. Therefore, we drink mimosas all morning until the food is ready, and then “feast.” After lunch comes dessert, which always includes a variety of pies such as pecan, apple and blueberry. My family also does a traditional Thanksgiving; however, it consists of the leftover food from lunch.  Thanksgiving in my family, like many, involves lots of eating and drinking.  

Secret Santa and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”: Owen Callais

Every Thanksgiving, my family does the average Thanksgiving shenanigans. We wake up, watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and eat lunch. However, the rest of the day may be a bit different from the average Thanksgiving. 

After eating lunch, we all go to our respective homes and take a nap. After a much needed sleep, we all reconnect back at my grandmother’s house in the evening for dinner. 

After we eat dinner and dessert, we pull family names for Christmas. Whoever’s name we pull out of the cup is the person we need to get a gift for for Christmas. 

There are two different categories: the grandchildren and the parents of the grandchildren. The grandchildren pull their fellow cousins’ names and the parents pull their siblings’ or in-laws’ names. There are sixteen grandchildren and ten parents, so there are a lot of names to pull from. Of course, whoever you pull has to be a secret until Christmas Day, which is funny at times. Seeing the younger kids trying to keep secrets from each other for an entire month is pretty humorous, considering how close everyone is in the family. 

After we pull names, we all go home again. When I get home, I try to relax after the long day and watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Sometimes my family will accompany me, other times they do not. I do this because I find the film to be the perfect Thanksgiving movie, as it is largely a film that occurs between Halloween and Christmas and even features many Thanksgiving color schemes throughout the film. 

The film also revolves around the character Jack Skellington, who learns to appreciate everything his life has to offer and is ultimately thankful of the people who do support him in his life, such as Sally. As one can tell, these are very much Thanksgiving themes. Although many argue about whether it is a Halloween or Christmas movie, I would still argue it is the perfect Thanksgiving movie, even if the director disagrees. 

If I have not fallen asleep during the movie due to all the tryptophan I consumed during the day, I will go to sleep, no matter how early it is.

So, I would say that pulling names for Christmas and watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas” are definitely some of my favorite Thanksgiving family traditions. 

No matter your favorite tradition, make sure that you spend time with loved ones this Thanksgiving!

From all of us here at the Nicholls Worth, have a Happy Thanksgiving!!