Thanksgiving Traditions! What's yours?

Thanksgiving Traditions, Dinners, and Decorations! What’s yours?

History stems back to 1541 for dinners to celebrate Thanksgiving, and America is not the only country to do so. In 1789 President Washington declared it a national holiday for Thanksgiving and prayer.

The first Thanksgiving dinner my mother collected recipes from her church friends that stemmed back a hundred years or more. She liked the recipe for oyster dressing which quickly became one of our traditional recipes for Thanksgiving.

Oyster Dressing Recipe (some call this scalloped oysters)

½ Pint of oysters including the juice

10 Lg. Saltine squares (1 ½ package crushed)

2 Cups milk

Salt and pepper

½ Stick of butter

Mix oysters and crackers, add milk, salt and pepper

Mix thoroughly

If it doesn’t seem moist and milky… add a bit more milk

Add butter squares on top before baking in a 9 x 13 square covered greased casserole dish

350 degrees for 45 minutes

There was a nice addition to add a dressing from my grandmother’s heritage and this was our second dressing along with the American tradition of bread dressing.

Rice Dressing

1 Cup of Raw long grain rice

2 Tbs. Butter

1 Large onion chopped

½ Cup of fresh parsley, diced

1 Lb. Ground beef or lamb

¼ Cups of Pine Nuts

¼ Cup dice celery

Salt and Pepper to taste and ¼ tsp. of cinnamon

Cook rice according to directions on bag but only let it cook to ¾ done. The rice must be firm

Brown beef in butter with onions and pine nuts, add celery cook until transparent

Add parsley and rice mix together

Bake in oven in buttered casserole dish covered

375 degrees for 25 minutes

There was always an array of pies and the traditional turkey and dressing. Cranberry sauce was made from scratch, and always passed on by me since I like the jellied canned cranberry sauce better.

We used napkin rings which were handmade with everyone’s name painted on them, and a candelabrum was a must, along with the prettiest white tablecloth that was made by hand by one of my grandmothers.

The family always said grace, and we never watched football during or after it was a time to share with family the thankfulness for the holiday, and the company of each other.

It's interesting to read traditions of different families and feel free to share yours by leaving a comment!

Copyright/All Rights Reserved B. A. Williams