Thanksgiving Traditions?
)When most people hear the word "Thanksgiving", they probably don't think of sports. In many households in the US, Thanksgiving day is synonymous with sports. Especially in Michigan where the Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day is as long standing a tradition as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and shoving your mouth as full of turkey as you can.
I know there is plenty of controversy about whether or not Thanksgiving should be an actual holiday in the first place. While it is most closely associated with pilgrims, Native Americans, and copious amounts of tryptophan, I've heard the true origins don't actually go back that far.
Feel free to do your own Google-Fu if you want to find out more about that. Also feel free to come back and comment how wrong I was if you find out otherwise.
That's not really what this post is about.
Since this is my sports account, this post obviously has to do with sports. Thanksgiving sports to be exact. There are a number of games on today and that is what I am going to be spending my afternoon doing in between shoveling scoops of mashed potatoes, turkey, and pumpkin pie in my mouth.
It got me thinking though (which is the main reason I put this in the reflections community), do other countries that celebrate holidays we don't in the US tie them as closely to sports as we do here.
Christmas stands alone of course, but if you are an NBA fan, you also know that Christmas Day is often filled with basketball games.
New Years Day is associated with college bowl games here and more specifically the Rose Bowl which they call the granddaddy of them all. I think the Lions play again on Christmas day this year as well, but the big game that everyone always talks about is the Thanksgiving Day game.
I have countless memories of sitting at my grandma's house surrounded by my cousins, aunts, and uncles watching the Lions play football in the afternoon after we had our potluck lunch.
Do you have memories like that? Traditional holiday memories that are so closely tied to sports that you really struggle to separate the two? Separate things that over the years have become so attached to each other that separating them now would be the ultimate sacrilege?
I'm just curious. I look forward to hearing your comments and I really hope you all have a great Thanksgiving Day. I will be checking out the Lions today and then as a bonus this evening, my Michigan State Spartans will be playing a basketball game.
Sports Talk Social - @bozz.sports
Although we are a great sporting nation I do not think there are any public holidays specifically tied into sport on the day.
Interesting to learn about how sport is celebrated on a specific day in your country. Enjoy the day with family and friends trying not to eat too much!
Thanks, I appreciate it!
I actually haven't watched the Thanksgiving football game until the last few years. As a kid, my parents and extended family made it a point to not have the TV on. In hindsight, I'm glad they did because the memories I made with my family I will cherish, and look to do the same with my boys.
We were the same way. During dinner or lunch the TV was not on. It was still a great way to interact. There was a time for family and a time for football and family
I love it. After we had Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, we went out and looked at Christmas lights.
I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. 🙂
That sounds like a great tradition! Not many people have lights out yet, but there are a few!
It's definitely a lot of fun. Fortunately, Scentsy headquarters is close, and they decorate their whole campus before Thanksgiving and open it to the public.
Oh really? That's pretty cool. My wife buys a lot of Scentsy stuff. Her friend at work sells it.
Very cool! Yeah, they make good stuff, and go all out on the decorations.