Thanksgiving: Is Your Home Ready?

Halloween is over and Bonfire Night’s been and gone, which according to the American holiday calendar means just one thing – Thanksgiving’s on its way. Our friends over in Canada have already celebrated (October 2), with those in Liberia marking the occasion this year on November 7. It’s still the turn of the USA, though, with the festivities beginning on November 28. A holiday which dates back to 1578 in Canada, and 1621 in the US, Thanksgiving’s historical roots are in religious and cultural traditions, with prayers of thanks and special thanksgiving ceremonies common among almost all religions

In the Spirit

So to get our friends from across the pond into the spirit, we’ve put together our top tips for sprucing up your home in time for Thanksgiving. Above all, though, it’s worth remembering what the event is actually about – giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. With this in mind, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to get your home ready for this year’s festivities. Here’s our top tips… 1. Colourful wreaths make a great Thanksgiving style statement. Remember, you don’t have to go all-out or spend a lot to make a beautiful wreath for the door, or fancy table centre. We found this stunning one (below) via Pinterest, but how about upcycling an old Christmas wreath by adding autumn colours and replacing Holly with orange ribbons? You could even make one out of miniature pom poms in a gorgeous colour scheme, like the one shown below.

 2. Fun games are a great way to kick off the festivities. If you’re celebrating with kids, or if you’re part of a huge family (which generally results in people shouting over one another across the table) instead plan fun games to ensure everyone stays sociable. We like this idea (below), which uses a napkin to great effect. It’s not quite a game but you could make it that way. Why not all write down what you’re grateful for, pop it in a hat and pick someone from the table to read each one out. The dinner guests then have to guess whose napkin is whose.

 

   3. Homemade table centres get the most compliments – fact! Things are always appreciated more when they’re made by hand (much like our Chesterfields – shameless plug!) so use Thanksgiving as an excuse to get creative and put together your own table centres or decorations. We like this one (below) which features metallic candles in autumnal shades, along with a cute turkey made from feathers. Are you a fan too?

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? Do you stick to tradition and cook a huge turkey with all the festive trimmings? Or do you prefer to mark the occasion in a unique way? Let us know by commenting on this post below.