I always find it so fascinating from November through New Years, all the little traditions that have to be observed for the holiday to really count. Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanskgiving without ______-and everyone fills in that blank differently. I remember the year my mother wanted us all to eat a ham on Thanksgiving and throughout the whole day everyone made jokes about how bizarre it was that our Turkey used to oink. “Usually on Thanksgiving we gobble our dinner, but I guess this year we oink?”

What you eat, when you eat, how you decorate, where you gather—all of these things are largely determined by how you were taught to celebrate the holidays. When you get together with someone new for a holiday you have to ask dozens of questions about what they do on their day so you can try to combine the two, hopefully creating new traditions.

My husband and I have created a lot of these over the years, for instance, we always watch the Snoopy holiday specials on Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Christmas Eve we watch Love Actually. We open one present on Christmas Eve and first thing Christmas morning we eat something small and turn on the tree lights before we open any presents. Stockings can be dumped on the floor whenever though—no restraint necessary!

What are your traditions? Does everyone say what they’re thankful for at your table? Do you open presents one at a time, or does everyone just dive in? Do you have necessary foods? Movies that you always watch? Songs that must be heard?