1. Wake up early and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade presented by Macy’s that has been held since the 1920s. The three-hour event is held in New York City and regularly features an array of balloons, floats and performances from popular music acts (including songs from current Broadway shows). Despite the fact that the cast of “Glee” was rejected by NBC to perform in this year’s parade, it is still must-see television, especially to see which high school marching band messes up first and how creepy “Santa Claus” is while he rolls on down Harold Square in his sleigh.
2. Give thanks.
Thanksgiving is a day of thanks. Cliché? Yes. But, there is no Thanksgiving without “thanks.” As your family sits around the table sharing predictable and mundane things they are thankful for (family, friends, health, etc.), prepare for a dinner stopping showcase that will leave all eyes on you. A lot of us are genuinely thankful for family, friends and health, but having something completely different prepared will bring a new energy into the room (especially if no one is drunk yet).
3. Eat a nice, big turkey dinner.
Fire up your ovens and warm those stomachs for a Thanksgiving feast that will leave you full until the start of Hanukkah and Christmas. Everyone has different traditions, but the classic American dinner, featuring turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and more are enough reasons alone to anticipate Thanksgiving.
4. Watch the football games.
Watch the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions battle it out on the Lions home turf at noon on FOX. Then, catch the Oakland Raiders against the Dallas Cowboys on CBS at 4:15 p.m. where the Raiders will play for the first time on Thanksgiving since 1970. Football wraps up at 8:20 p.m. when the Denver Broncos are visited by the New York Giants, which will be presented by the NFL Network.
5. Fall into a turkey coma.
According to TLC’s “How Stuff Works,” turkey contains an amino acid (tryptophan) that the body cannot manufacture itself. Tryptophan helps produce a B-vitamin niacin, which helps the body produce seratonin. In turn, seratonin acts as a calming agent in the brain that causes sleepiness. So, take a nap and let your body rest before it is time to stuff your face with dessert.
6. Stuff face with tasty dessert.
Pie is the word. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, blueberry pie, chocolate pie and any other pie you can think of are regularly featured on the dessert table when it is time to gorge your face with often times fattening treats. If pie does not tickle your taste buds then you can also take a cookie or brownie from the dessert tray or a scoop or two of fresh fruit. Trifle filled with chocolate cake, chocolate pudding and whipped cream is a personal favorite. You can never go wrong with an extra dollop of Cool Whip on any dessert. Whipped cream is perfectly acceptable on any occasion at any time.
7. Prepare for Black Friday shopping.
The holiday shopping season begins at midnight with the day after Thanksgiving, also known as “Black Friday.” Newspaper circulars are most likely present on coffee tables around the house or apartment in anticipation of one of the craziest shopping days of the year. Take respite the night before by drinking a few glasses of wine or a Jell-O shot or two.or six, in preparation for dealing with some of the nastiest people out and about who lack yuletide cheer.
