How to Host a Nostalgic Thanksgiving This Year

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POV: It’s a cool, crisp fall day. All your family has gathered in different areas of the house. The smell of delicious herbs, bread, and pumpkin pie fills the air, and you’ve just settled down to play a game of cards with your cousins. The familiar nostalgia of the Thanksgiving holiday is in full swing. Life is good.

While I love making new traditions, there’s just something so comforting about tapping into the nostalgia of Thanksgiving. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, Thanksgiving was such a cozy holiday — filled with simple conversation, TV specials, and multiple helpings of all the comfort food you could imagine.

If you’re like me and craving the nostalgia of simpler times, we’re sharing an itinerary of the day, so you can host a nostalgic Thanksgiving for your family this year. Keep reading to make sure you have everything you need for Thanksgiving this year.

1. Run a Morning Turkey Trot

Every single year since we can remember, our parents have run in a Turkey Trot race. It’s always been a fun tradition, and so many people around the nation begin their Thanksgiving morning participating in one too.

Whether you sign up for your local Turkey Trot race or create one of your own with your family and friends, it’s a great way to get energized for the day ahead.

2. Watch the Macy’s Day Parade

The Macy’s Day Parade is a must-watch every year. Seeing all the iconic floats and balloons make an appearance never gets old. 

This year, we’re watching it from the kitchen as we prep our Thanksgiving meal, and can’t wait to hear the nostalgic sound of it all — so cozy!

Here’s how to watch the Macy’s Day Parade at home:

• Start Time: 8:30 a.m. ET on Thanksgiving Day
• End Time: Approximately 12:00 p.m. ET
• Primary Broadcast: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock
• Encore Presentation: 2:00 p.m. ET/PT

3. Decorate Your Table with a Cozy Tablescape

Thinking back to the 90s and early 2000s Thanksgiving color scheme, there were a bunch of deep red, gold, and orange tones used to decorate the table. Food was served on fancier dinnerware, and the table centerpiece consisted of small pumpkins and candles. It was so warm and inviting.

Tap into the Thanksgiving nostalgia this year with these table decorations:

4. Watch the Cowboys Play

Growing up in Dallas, the Thanksgiving Cowboys’ football game was a nonnegotiable. We all sat down to watch it, while our mom and aunts finished up baking pies. 

This year, the Cowboys are playing the Kansas City Chiefs, so an interesting game will be had. Plus, there are a couple of other football games being played that day, too. Whichever game you end up watching, it’s always a good idea to sit down with your second plate of Thanksgiving helpings and enjoy.

Here are the details for the games:

• Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys — 3:30 p.m. CT on CBS
• Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions — 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX
• Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens — 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

5. Make Classic, Nostalgic Thanksgiving Recipes

Perhaps the most nostalgic part of Thanksgiving is the delicious food. If your family is anything like ours, you’ve been making a majority of the same foods for years. Everything from hot oven-roasted turkey to sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie. The spread is always so large and delightful.

Here are some classic Thanksgiving recipes to make for your family this year:

6. Play Games with Your Family

During the holiday season, our family always carves out time to play games. Whether it’s Catan, Yahtzee, or random card games, we always find a way to make the most of creating memories. Some of my fondest and most nostalgic memories are playing these games. 

Think of some games you and your family have always loved to play, and continue to make some new Thanksgiving memories.

These are the games that always remind me of childhood Thanksgivings:

7. Make a Craft (Adult Approved!)

Whether you’re a craft person or not, there’s just something about sitting down and making a fun Thanksgiving craft that is so sentimental.

However, now that we’re grown up, the crafts we make have to be useful to us at our age. We share 12 fun Thanksgiving crafts HERE. We can’t think of a more creative way to spend the Thanksgiving afternoon.

8. Create a Black Friday Shopping Plan

With Black Friday following Thanksgiving Day, we’ve always made a plan to shop the amazing deals. However, this year, instead of spending all our time online, we’re taking the Black Friday shopping experience back to the 90s and early 2000s. Those were the days of lining up in winding lines in the wee hours of the morning just to get access to the amazing deals.

This year, make it a fun experience and show up at the stores. Make a plan of the best malls and retailers to hit up while you can. Maybe even get some holiday shopping checked off the list, too!

9. End the Night Watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

While you’re enjoying your second or third helping of pie or cookies, end the night by watching a classic — A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. It’s the sweetest special that always brings a smile to our faces. Here’s how you can watch it this year:

• Apple TV (with subscription)
• Amazon Prime Video (with subscription + add-on)
• Charlie Brown Thanksgiving DVD