With T-minus 48 hours ’til Turkey Day, we thought it would be fun to share with you some of the ways we here at WebPT like to celebrate this much-cherished holiday (you know, besides eating ourselves into a food coma). On that note, we feel compelled to warn you that the following blog post contains detailed descriptions of delicious Thanksgiving food. Please proceed with caution.
Culture Captain Chelsie Shadrach prefers a low-key, family-oriented Thanksgiving. “Dad fries a turkey in peanut oil in the middle of the yard; Mom and I cook indoors, and we all watch the football game,” she says. Then, she and her family—six in all, if all of her siblings are present—gather around their small dining room table, and “chow and then sleep [to be ready] for Black Friday shopping at 3:00 AM.”
On the other end of the family gathering spectrum, EMR/Billing Analyst Semija Humphreys celebrates Turkey Day with a huge family potluck. “Right before dinner, each person explains something that they are thankful for, including [the] small children, which is exciting to them!” she says. “After nice music and dinner, we have a drawing for the Christmas gift exchange that will happen in December.”
Marketing and Events Specialist Jenny Walters usually heads to Palm Springs with her aunts for Thanksgiving, but this year she’ll instead join her boyfriend’s family for her first Hanukkah celebration. Why? Because this year marks a rare instance in which Thanksgiving coincides with the first day of Hanukkah. “I’m excited to celebrate both holidays at the same time,” Jenny says. She’s also excited about repeating this special dual-celebration next time the coincidence occurs—in 2070. “I’ll be 86!” she says.
Support Representative Lauren Mckenzie enjoys her family’s big Thanksgiving celebration, but it’s the quiet after the storm that she treasures most. When she was a kid, she and her great grandmother had a special secret tradition. “Every Thanksgiving night, well after everyone went to bed, she would come wake me up and take me to the kitchen,” Lauren says. “We would grab some amazing bread, put it in the toaster, then grab some extremely unhealthy butter and mayo, along with some leftover turkey. Once the bread was toasted, we’d make our leftover-turkey-mayo-butter toasted sandwiches and enjoy the peace and quiet together.” Even though Lauren’s great grandmother has since passed away, she still carries on the tradition to this day. “Even as I’m preparing [the sandwich] and eating it alone, I always feels like she’s right there with me,” Lauren says.
And now, from a tear-jerker to a knee-slapper: A/R Representative Joey Siemion shared with us the inside joke that has added a healthy helping of laughter to his family’s Thanksgiving feast. Each year, new family members and dinner guests have the opportunity to earn $100 if they can make the turkey whistle while carving it. Joey’s uncle first issued the challenge a few years ago, and Joey jumped at the chance to make some quick cash. “Well, we all know what a cooked turkey looks like, and there aren’t very many options for areas to make a turkey whistle,” Joey says. “Long story short, I spent three years trying to make the turkey whistle…I should have guessed that when my uncle would take a picture of me trying to whistle from the rear of the turkey it was a joke on me!” He can laugh about it now, but Joey says he can’t wait to pull this prank on another newbie.
So, now that we’ve warmed your heart, tickled your funny bone, whetted your appetite, and sparked your Thanksgiving spirit, we’d love to hear about your own traditions. Share them in the comments section below.
