Time goes by so fast, and before you know it Thanksgiving is here. Thanksgiving seems to give you a respite from the hustle and bustle of year-end activities. Spend Thanksgiving weekend with your family enjoying a delicious meal.
Or maybe get together to discuss what you need to buy for the Black Friday sales the next day. All in all, it's a great time to connect with your family other than at Christmas.
But we all know that hosting your loved ones during the holiday season is no easy task. From serving the dishes to set the table and even the activities of the holiday can take a lot of time to prepare.
That's why we've put together this step-by-step guide. With the help of these practical tips and advice, you can take the stress out of preparation and make your hosting flawless.
(Thanksgiving dinner)
Advance Preparation
Cleaning the room
A great way to prepare for your guests is to clean out your rooms and pack up any items that may be limiting your space. Throw away loose trash, vacuum the floors, clean the kitchen and living room, and make sure all rooms look neat and ready for your guests.
(Cleaning the room)
Invite in advance
Ask the guests you want to invite if they are attending and ask if there are any dietary restrictions. This will ensure that invitations are in place and you know the number of people to better determine the menu next. People usually have a variety of activities during the holidays, so informing in advance is what gives them enough time to make arrangements.
Develop a seating chart
As the host, it is best to have a clear arrangement. Decide where everyone will sit to avoid confusion when guests arrive. And remember to reserve enough space at the table in case you need to prepare guests' name tags.
Clean the refrigerator and oven
Open the refrigerator, clean out the expired ingredients, and organize the contents neatly. This is not only to store Thanksgiving dinner ingredients but also leftovers and food brought in by guests. Also, this is the time of year to clean the oven. Wipe off the grease and grime stains and make sure the oven is all set to the right temperature.
(Clean the refrigerator)
Check spices and utensils
Open your cupboards, check the freshness date of your baking powder and make sure you have enough nutmeg, vanilla extract, basil, and other spices. And if you have enough cutlery, extra cutlery is always needed at a party dinner. After this check, update your shopping list if anything is missing.
Set up the event tent
An outdoor Thanksgiving dinner that will impress your guests. A spacious backyard and fresh air will make this year's Thanksgiving event stand out. 10x20 party tent will be the best backyard party tent, with the ability to accommodate 10 to 15 people after adding an 8-foot banquet table. It's a good idea to have blankets and small heat lamps set up to keep guests warm.
(Quictent 10x20 canopy tent)
Set The Menu
After you have made the above preparations, it's time to buy the ingredients according to the menu. How do you choose the most important item, the turkey? Assuming 2 pounds per adult and 1 pound per child, pick the right weight of turkey according to this rule. Vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts can be purchased a few days ahead of time.
Thanksgiving dinner is all about turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. And these are all things you can make ahead of time so you don't have to be frazzled on Thanksgiving Day.
(Thanksgiving preparation)
You can start making cranberry sauce and gravy five days before Thanksgiving. The cranberries, which contain a lot of sugar, and the gravy, which contains fat, will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. The gravy needs to be placed in the freezer, and when you need to use it, put the gravy in a pot and simmer it over low heat and it will still be delicious.
Start making the pie crust two days ahead of time and the bread. Once wrapped, again place them in the freezer layer. Afterward thaw the turkey, which is recommended in the refrigerator, since it needs to be thawed at a consistent, safe temperature.
Start preparing the ingredients needed for the stuffing a day in advance, clean the vegetables and cut them into pieces, and store them in the refrigerator. Take out the crust and bread to thaw the night before to make it easier to bake the next day. On Thanksgiving Day, you just need to sauté the stuffing and put it in the turkey. Tie the turkey and put it in the oven. As a tip, roasting an 8 to 12-pound turkey will take 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours, and a 12 to 14-pound turkey will take 3 to 3 hours and 45 minutes. Wait until dinner to reheat the pie, which is the final step in the perfect dinner.
(Thanksgiving menu)
You can also ask your guests to bring different dishes, desserts, or wine. This will save you a lot of preparation time.
Thanksgiving Tabletop Decoration
The most difficult part of Thanksgiving each year, besides cooking dinner, is how to decorate the table. After all, for Thanksgiving, the table setting is the core.
Set the tone
Warm colors such as orange, yellow, and gold are most commonly used in Thanksgiving table settings to represent the fall fell. In terms of decorations, although Halloween is over pumpkins are still one of the most popular Thanksgiving decorations. Maple leaves and wheat bunches also bring a natural and rustic style. Afterward, choose a bright bouquet to decorate around the table as an eye-catcher. The right cloth is always the best choice to decorate a monotonous table. Solid-colored linen tablecloths can never go wrong with any dining table. Even the most basic white tablecloth can better set the mood of the table.
(Thanksgiving table setting)
Create the atmosphere
Tableware is also the most important part, certainly needs to be unique. You can use elegant and understated ceramic dinner plates, with delicate crystal goblets. Color selection commonly used earth tones or white, dark brown. A beautiful set of tableware can make guests feel the host's intention, if you want to create a relaxed and convivial atmosphere, you can use a multi-colored irregular dinner plate, the effect is both simple and stunning.
Even if you don't have much time to prepare for your guests, it's perfect to add warmth by simply lighting candles on the table. Besides, make your guests feel your thoughtfulness with elaborate name cards.
(Thanksgiving tabletop)
Festival Activities
Whether it's a trivia game while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner or activities after a full meal, getting everyone involved is what the holiday is all about.
Activities at home
Outdoor Movie Night: Watching movies is a great way to spend time and for everyone to take part. Especially when the venue is moved outdoors. Set up a canopy tent to provide a warm and safe outdoor space for guests. Enjoy pumpkin pie or popcorn together and end the night with a cozy gesture.
(Watching movies in the canopy tent)
Thanksgiving movies
As movie lovers, we're going to suggest a few movies for you to watch on Thanksgiving. Let the magic of Thanksgiving movie night be extended.
Thanksgiving movies for kids can opt for "Free Birds", an animated comedy film released in 2013. It tells the funny story of two turkeys who go back in time and try to remove turkey from the Thanksgiving menu.
And for a family-friendly Thanksgiving movie you can choose "Home for the Holidays". The comedy movie released in 1995 tells the story of a single mother who, faced with multiple troubles in her life, returns to her parent's house alone for Thanksgiving, which leads to more drama.
For a completely different Thanksgiving movie night, choose horror movies to give you goosebumps! "Pilgrim", released in 2019, is about a woman who invites re-enactors to make a real-life first Thanksgiving for her family and friends. However, while the actors are performing, things take an unexpected turn.
(Quictent 10x20 tent outdoor movie)
Baking Contest: Perfect for before dinner, divide into teams to make Thanksgiving desserts. It can be pies, cookies, or cakes. It saves your time in preparing the dessert but also hosts a fun baking competition.
Breaking the wishbone: This is a traditional Thanksgiving activity. Have two people make a wish on a wishbone and break it. Whoever gets the bigger piece will be able to grant their wish.
(Breaking the wishbone)
Activities on the street
If don't want to stay indoors, these outdoor activities are also waiting for you to join.
Thanksgiving Day Parade: The Thanksgiving Day parades that take place all over the place are not to be missed. None is more famous than the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York. Every year, the parade attracts up to 3.5 million people to the streets of New York and 50 million people to watch on TV. It is one of the most popular events in New York.
The parade lasts three hours and is attended by tens of thousands of people, including more than 1,000 cheerleaders, a dozen bands, and endless numbers of giant cartoon balloons. The hours are from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon, so if you want to be there, it's best to get a front-row seat before 7:00 am.
(Thanksgiving day parade)
Turkey Trot: A long-distance race held on or around Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It is usually run as a charity benefit and features runners in costumes, especially turkeys. If you are interested in this fun running race, look up the Turkey Trot in your area. Whether you're participating or watching, a group of people in turkey doll costumes would be a very interesting scene.
(Turkey trot）
Donate food: The focus of Thanksgiving is on gratitude. Not everyone can afford a Thanksgiving meal with turkey. That's why there are Thanksgiving donations all over the place. There are food banks where you can donate designated foods, such as canned goods or fast food products, and remember not to donate perishable foods. Or you can donate online to low-income veteran families, and volunteer to distribute food for them. Make this Thanksgiving even more worthwhile.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving is a day when we can come together to celebrate and show our gratitude, but that doesn't mean it stops when the holiday is over. We should show each other as much emotion as we can and let our loved ones know how much we love them. With this guide, it's easy to prepare for Thanksgiving activities. Look back on the year and look forward to a fulfilling next year, facing difficulties with gratitude.
