Untraditional Thanksgiving Ideas

With Thanksgiving coming up, many families are planning their dinners with family and friends, keeping with longstanding traditions of years past. Thanksgiving is about tradition, but doing the same exact thing every year can get tired. If you feel like changing it up this year, whether food, location, or otherwise, here are some untraditional Thanksgiving ideas to try out this holiday season.

A Different Location

Thanksgiving is typically held at home in your hometown, bringing together all your family and friends in one central location. Try switching it up by taking your family on vacation, whether its somewhere local or somewhere completely off the map like Iceland or Costa Rica. 

A Different Meal

Maybe all your family needs is a revamp of the traditional turkey dinner served on Thanksgiving. Try a different culture’s flavor for a change, complete with a country theme. Thanksgiving is all about two cultures coming together after all. Consult this list from NPR of people’s favorite cross-cultural Thanksgiving dishes for some ideas.

A Different Setting

Cooking on Thanksgiving is a time consuming, sometimes multiday process. Let someone else take care of the cooking this year by dining out. Make a reservation at a fun restaurant in advance and let someone else play host. Afterwards, go home for cocktails and dessert and some quality family time that makes the holiday special.