This month festivities truly start with Thanksgiving. We loved hearing what celebrations mean to our US team members - not just the treats and drinks. It's all about the people and bringing friends and family together. 

What does Thanksgiving mean for you?:

Alissa: FOOD! and being grateful for the people in your life. Better than Christmas because there’s no pressure of giving and receiving gifts.

McKenna: Thanksgiving means a time to reflect on the past year. Thanksgiving serves as a gentle reminder we have so much to be grateful for. Looking around the table at faces of family members I love the most is always the perfect reminder of how grateful I am to have a healthy family and how blessed we are to live in this free country. How grateful I am to my ancestors for all their sacrifice!

Tracy: Thanksgiving is all about family, good food and relaxation. My family does not celebrate Christmas (we are Jewish…my husband is half/half so now I get a bit of Christmas whimsy) so Thanksgiving is a really big deal to us. Unlike many US holidays which not all companies observe, everyone observes Thanksgiving which allows for proper relaxation and family time disconnected from email, laptops and social media.

Andre: Thanksgiving for me is a traditional time where everyone stops their day-to-days and gathers to reflect on the year past. As time has passed, ‘the kids’ (which includes myself, my siblings and my cousins) have gotten older and left the nest both physically and in some ways mentally – starting on our own individual life paths. It is a relaxed and informal time where we get to come together and spend time catching up, whereas Christmas just a month later can then be more focused on enjoying and living in the moment. Over the years as we have moved further and further apart geographically (with myself taking the cake at over 5300 miles/8500 km away), Thanksgiving has lost a bit of prominence with my extended in lieu of Christmas, but it has been an occasion that is kept dear with my immediate family.

What does your typical Thanksgiving celebration look like?

Alissa: Going home to where I grew up, getting together with hometown friends and family, my grandma cooks a huge feast and gets very drunk on wine. Usually ends with a dance party in her kitchen. 

McKeena: My typical Thanksgiving usually includes my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and my immediate family all gathering at my Aunt’s house in Peachtree City, GA for lunch around 2pm and we stay till late into the evening eating the wonderful food and playing games. We all live within 10 minutes of each other. Cousins that have moved away travel home for the holiday. Each family is given their role on what to cook and bring to share. Cooking for your family and friends is one of the most personal ways to share our love for one another. Food definitely brings people together.

Tracy: My family is pretty small so Thanksgiving is always an intimate affair. The day ALWAYS starts with mimosas. Usually my parents, grandma, my brother and our respective partners attend. Over the years the day has gotten more intimate as we split holidays with our partners families if we can.

Andre: Thanksgiving Day has kept the same cadence over the years, and there certainly is a comfort in the familiarity! It starts as early as 6am, where my mum gets up and gets the turkey in the oven for a nice, juicy slow roast. In recent years I eventually crawl out of bed after a lie-in to assume the role of sous-chef. My first task as sous-chef: pour the motivational mimosas and get the music plaing! After that I assist my mum in making a wide array of sides, and coordinate any last minute trips to the shop for missing bits and bobs. Thanksgiving Dinner for us is usually Thanksgiving Lunch, kicking off around 1pm. We all go around and talk about what we are thankful for that year and then tuck right on in! Once we’ve all eaten we always put a film on and tend to collectively fall into a food coma. By evening time, it’s usually time for round 2! We then rest early so that we can get up early to join the shopping madness of Black Friday.

We spoke with the team at www.porch.com about ours thoughts on creating a sustainable Thanksgiving celebration.

Over the last year sustainability has increased even more as something individuals and businesses need to strive towards, and now a huge factor in people’s buying habits. This Thanksgiving you can expect to see a lot more eco-friendly and sustainable decorations on the shelves, that don't go straight into landfill or can be used again and again each year. If you don’t invest in long-lasting material for decorations the best materials to look for and purchase are those you can fully recycle – such as glass, paper, and cards. We have invested in ensuring we offer a great selection of decorations made from these – from glass-colored candle holders to sturdy paper honeycombs and fully recyclable crackers for the table! There’s now no reason not to enjoy a fun-filled Christmas, entirely guilt-free.

Check out their article full of tips to create a more eco-friendly celebration here:

https://porch.com/advice/sustainable-thanksgiving-qa-with-the-experts