Pumpkin pie cooking in the oven, cornbread, gravy, turkey, and mashed potatoes out on the table, candles decorating the dining room: Thanksgiving traditions bring happiness to many families around the country each year. My favorite tradition is not a common one, but I highly recommend adopting the idea.
Three years ago, my family and I had just polished off dessert on Thanksgiving night. Full of food and energy, we cleaned up in just a few minutes and were unsure what we should do next. Then, someone had the idea to go shopping.
The day after Thanksgiving is one of the biggest shopping days of the year- Black Friday. On this day, stores introduce special deals and offer for shoppers to get a jump-start on their shopping for the holiday season. However, something many people don’t realize is that the deals begin the day before, on Thanksgiving night. What better way to end Thanksgiving than to get the best deals of the year?
On that Thanksgiving three years ago, we began our new tradition by going to the Philadelphia outlets from about 8:00 pm until almost one in the morning. Since then, we have continued this tradition every year. Once we finish dessert, we gather whoever in our extended family wants to come, and send everyone else home.
The outlets are always packed with people rushing to get to their favorite stores, with lines wrapping around the buildings, some hours long. Once you finally get into the store, everyone is scrambling around grabbing at clothes. The chaos which unfolds around us is thrilling to watch.
Part of what makes this tradition so special to me is doing something spontaneous and exciting with my family. There is nothing better than walking around freezing cold with my family at 11 pm on Thanksgiving night. This unique tradition brings my family closer together and has turned into something that I look forward to each year.
Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, and this tradition only makes it better. Thanksgiving is a time to see family and be grateful for everything we have. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy Thanksgiving this year!
