We have had our Canadian Thanksgiving last month, but I would like to share our day with you. My husband and I now live in a apartment. Our children are all grown. We knew this year in order to see our kids, I had to organize a gathering. I decided it was time the children shared in the work.
So I planned on a potluck Thanksgiving dinner that included all the trimmings. Each of my children brought a dish (4), I provided the balance of the meal. We had a buffet lunch served from my small apartment kitchen counter.
Everyone found a place to rest their plate. The informal dinner brought a lot of laughter and conversations. Warm family gatherings like this last longer in the memories of my grandchildren. Happy Thanksgiving.
By Sheila from St Mary's. Ontario, Canada
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Congratulations on what sounds like a wonderful and blessed time with your family! I know that sometimes in this fast paced world we live in, it's really hard to get the rest of our family members to slow down! I'm always glad to hear I'm not the only Mom to just want to slowdown and spend a little time with my family. We have had a few Family get togethers in really small locations, for example about 17 years ago we had about 35 people over to our 1100 sq.ft. 3 bedroom home to spend my Dad's last Christmas together. We ate in shifts and had tables set up in each bedroom as well as the living room because the buffet spread took over the entire eat-in kitchen!
My kids & all their cousins thought it was a blast, they pretended each room was a different restaurant and whenever someone got up for refills someone else would take their seat! So there was plenty of surrculating around and visiting! We all have some of our best memories of that Christmas simply because of the unusual circumstances and also the fact that it was our last big holiday with my dad. I know that Canadian Thanksgiving is a bit different from the American version, but being thankful is universal, and with the state of things in the world today we need to be thankful for every last blessing we can find.
No matter how big or small. Thank you for bringing back a good memory for me and allowing me to share it. I wish you and your family all the best and a belated Happy Thanksgiving from the Larson Family in Colorado, USA
What a fantastic idea! And so much more relaxed than the normal "sit down at the table" type dinner. I think I'm going to adopt this idea for all of our family get-togethers too!
Brings to mind when I lived in a tiny apartment, single mom with child; an 8x10 trailer has more room than that home did! I fixed Thanksgiving with all the trimmings, had no room even for a table or chairs. We ate outside on the lawn, all my sisters and brothers, wives, etc! The dew was dry, we sat on blankets (I didn't even have chairs!), and they had to bring silverware as I didn't have enough of that either!
My husband and I have five children and 7 grandchildren. Needless to say, we often don't all get home at one time. However, when we can, I bought a tablecloth and markers. Everyone writes what they're thankful for and dates it. Whenever we all get back in a group I pull out the same tablecloth. It's fun to read and as the grand kids get older they laugh at their previous messages. I hope this will be passed down from generations to come.
I love the tablecloth idea! I think I'll start that tradition this year.
We also do dinner potluck style. I provide the turkey, stuffing, cranberry salad (my grandmother's recipe), potatoes, and gravy. My in-laws bring the pies, my parents bring the vegetable and wine/sparkling cider, and my sister brings the rolls. We often invite an extra guest who doesn't have family nearby or have friends drop by to say hello.
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