There may be no holiday as all-American as Thanksgiving. The annual celebration — celebrated on Thursday, November 25, this year — serves to commemorate the harvest, and is traditionally understood to have begun as a feast of friendship between Pilgrims and American Indian tribes.

Nowadays, Thanksgiving is a time for getting together with friends and family and enjoying a delicious meal and good company. To have the best Thanksgiving possible, try incorporating the following tips.
 

1. Have Everybody Make a Dish

One of the best parts about Thanksgiving is sharing food — and in particular, seasonally-appropriate foods. Fall is a wonderful time of year, and plenty of food is in season all around the country: apples, pumpkins, squash, potatoes, and much more.

To have a collaborative and fun Thanksgiving, encourage everyone attending to bring a dish. Whether it's an appetizer, side dish, main course, or dessert, having everyone participate helps to spread the holiday spirit and encourage involvement from all attendees.
 

2. Invite Somebody New

Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to get together with family, as well as friends, and celebrate the important relationships in your life. This year, consider taking that a step further and helping cultivate a new relationship by inviting someone new to attend! Maybe it is a friend or relative who does not have somewhere to go, or a family new to your neighborhood. Whomever it is, an extra guest or two will help foster the spirit of community and gratitude that has been essential ever since the very first Thanksgiving.
 

3. Diversify the Menu

There are a number of staples common to all Thanksgivings — turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, green beans, and much more. To change things up, consider a significant variation to your menu this year. To try new foods, maybe consider a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving. Or make health-conscious substitutions: for instance, substituting out mashed potatoes with butter for sweet potato pie.

Whatever you decide, a little variation will help re-invigorate the Thanksgiving spirit.
 

4. Host A Thanksgiving Activity

While the meal is the centerpiece of any traditional Thanksgiving dinner, there is a whole day (and potentially several days) around the feast to enjoy with friends and family. To make the most of it, consider planning a special activity for everyone to participate in. Perhaps it's as simple as a family football or baseball game. Or maybe it can be a group outing, like a hike or a trip to a local orchard. Whatever it ends up being, it will only help enliven the festivities.

Thanksgiving is a time for showing gratitude for the significant people and things in our lives — and for the other things for which we're grateful, like good health. Ensure that your family's oral health is as strong as it should be with a visit to Pediatric Dental Group. We have a wealth of experience in pediatric dentistry and can keep your family grateful for excellent oral health.