I just adore the holiday season and the family traditions that come with it.  Each year, I look forward to Thanksgiving since,  for us, it marks the start of all of the festivities and family time that we so enjoy.

Since Thanksgiving is just a few short days away, I thought it would be fun to share some traditions that we have during this time of year!

I. Pit

If you have a family that enjoys playing games together, Pit is one that you must try!   It’s tradition in our family play Pit after our Thanksgiving dinner when everyone is together.

The game was created in 1901 and based upon the stock market. The objective of the game being to corner the market on whatever commodity you’ve got.  The winner (the person who has all the cards for their commodity), rings a bell to signal the end of the game.

It’s loud, it’s fast-paced,  it’s SO MUCH FUN and it’s best played with a large group!   If you haven’t ever played, do yourself a favor and buy it!

 

II. Tree Farm

I am a firm believer in waiting until after Thanksgiving to begin decorating for the Christmas season.  So, the weekend following Thanksgiving, we always get our Christmas tree.

I adore how the scent of a freshly cut tree fills the house; it just smells like Christmas!  Plus, the experience of having family time together while we browse the rows and rows of trees looking for our “perfect” tree is something we want our girls to have fond memories of as they grow older.

I always document this family event and have an album created of the images.  These albums are displayed on our coffee table at Christmas and are enjoyed year after year.    (If you missed last year’s trip to the Christmas Tree Farm, check it out here!)

 

III. Apple Pie

Yes, pumpkin pie is the traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but my dad makes THE BEST apple pie you’ve ever tasted.  It’s got the perfect fluffy crust topped with sugar crystals and filled with warm apple gooeyness.  Seriously, I could crawl into a secret space and eat the whole thing myself.  No one can make an apple pie like him and it’s a Thanksgiving tradition that I’ll never get tired of!

 

IV.  Smokin’ meat

Ben is the king anything meat-related, so it wouldn’t be a Wilburn Thanksgiving without something being smoked or deep fried!  Everyone who comes to our home to eat tells him he needs to quit his regular day job and open up a B-B-Q place.  So, shout out to my hubs for killin’ it with an amazing (& always culinarily creative) turkey!

V. Black Friday Shopping

I’m the first born in my family, so Black Friday shopping with my sisters started as soon as I turned 17 and got my license (hey, Jersey friends!).  We’d wake up insanely early and head to the mall to shop the day away.   To this day, this is something that I love doing with my sister, Aislinn.  It’s our girl time together and no one loves a good deal more than I do!

Tell me more about your family’s favorite Thanksgiving and holiday traditions in the comments below!

Alyssa is a Pennsylvania-based fine art wedding and portrait photographer serving the Lehigh Valley, Lancaster, Philadelphia and beyond.  To inquire with Alyssa about your upcoming wedding or portrait needs, get in touch here!