10 Thanksgiving Traditions Only Baby Boomers Will Remember
Thanksgiving is a season of gratitude and reflection. For Baby Boomers who grew up during the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the holiday brings back memories of simpler times and bygone traditions. If you’re a Baby Boomer, you’ll want to stick around for this article! Here are 10 Thanksgiving traditions every older adult will be sure to remember.
1. Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy’s parade has been a Thanksgiving tradition since 1924. While Baby Boomers wouldn’t have been around to witness the inaugural parade, they certainly were around to witness it in the years after! It was first broadcast on TV in 1946 and has been a staple for many people ever since. For many Baby Boomers, it’s probably the highlight of their holiday! Some may recall watching the parade while the turkey was cooking. In the past, the Macy’s parade has featured a star-studded lineup. Not only has Dolly Parton graced a float, but the iconic Diana Ross has been a guest in the past, too!
2. Wearing Your Sunday Best to Dinner
Nowadays, a lot of people don’t dress up for Thanksgiving. Most of us throw on a plain old tee and sweatpants, ready to relax and enjoy ourselves. However, back in the day, dressing up in your Sunday best was a must for Thanksgiving dinner. Baby Boomers may remember wearing dresses, suits, and ties, even if it was just for dinner at home. In fact, Norman Rockwell immortalized this tradition in his famous painting “Freedom from Want.”
3. Table Settings
Thanksgiving was the one time of year when the “good” plates, silverware, and glassware were used. Baby Boomers may remember helping their parents set the table with the best dishes. For most of the year, they were housed in a special cabinet or shelf. But on Thanksgiving, you got them out and set the table with them. Maybe they served the same purpose as your everyday plates, but there was something particularly special about getting out those special plates.
4. Green Bean Casserole
Since the 1950s, green bean casserole has been a staple of Thanksgiving dinners, thanks to Campbell’s Soup. Baby Boomers may remember this classic dish as a must-have on the dinner table. While we’ve all enjoyed green bean casseroles for years now, there was something extra special about the novelty when it was first invented.
5. Gravy Boats
Baby Boomers may remember the gravy boat that was always present at the Thanksgiving table. It was used to pour delicious gravy over everything from turkey to mashed potatoes. Many Baby Boomers may still have their mother or grandmother’s gravy boats. Now, they’re priceless family heirlooms and reminders of past Thanksgiving. Perhaps you even make your mom’s gravy recipe every year!
6. Playing Touch Football
After Thanksgiving dinner, it was common for families to play touch football in the backyard. Baby Boomers may remember getting outside and working off all that turkey and stuffing. Did you know that Thanksgiving and football have been synonymous since the 1800s? As a matter of fact, the first recorded competitive football game took place on November 6th, 1969, when Rutgers played against Princeton University. Who knew?
7. Black Friday Shopping
Black Friday as we know it now didn’t exist when Baby Boomers were growing up, but it was still a big shopping day. In fact, Black Friday didn’t start until the 1980s. However, the term has been around since the 1960s, coined by police officers in Pittsburgh when they noticed an uptick in tourist shoppers the day after Thanksgiving. Regardless of when the term actually became a part of our current lexicon, most stores opened early on the day after Thanksgiving. Baby Boomers may remember heading out to get a jump start on their Christmas shopping.
8. Watching Holiday Movies
Thanksgiving is the kickoff to the holiday season, and many Baby Boomers may remember watching classic holiday movies like It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street during the Thanksgiving weekend. Did you know that Miracle on 34th Street actually features the famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Moreover, the footage we enjoy in the movie was actually shot during the real-life 1946 parade! How’s that for some fun Thanksgiving trivia?
9. TV Specials
Baby Boomers will remember the special Thanksgiving television programming that aired during the holiday. TV stations would often air shows like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and, of course, the aforementioned Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. These shows were a staple in many households during the holiday season. Additionally, in 1953, young Baby Boomers could view the first televised Thanksgiving Day NFL game if their family had the DuMont network. Many Baby Boomers witnessed history in the making!
10. Making Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Did you know that cranberry sauce is actually falling out of favor with most millennials and Gen Zers? For most Baby Boomers, homemade cranberry sauce was a must-have on the Thanksgiving dinner table! You may also remember using leftover cranberry sauce to make sandwiches in the days following the holiday. While cranberry dishes may have fallen out of favor with younger generations, we’re willing to bet that many Baby Boomers still serve it every year.
To Sum it Up
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on old traditions and create new ones. For Baby Boomers, the holiday brings back fond memories of simpler times. Whether it’s watching the Macy’s parade on TV or enjoying homemade pies, Thanksgiving for Baby Boomers will always be a time to remember. We hope you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane and that it brought back some nostalgic Thanksgiving memories for you, too! And don’t forget to make even more memories this year.
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Originally published November 05, 2024
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