The holiday season is quickly approaching which means plenty of time with family and friends. With Thanksgiving right around the corner there is lots of prepping to do. While most people take the time to establish a menu and make lists of the ingredients they need from the grocery store, our preparation involved much more than food. When my kids were little we always had to plan a fun activity to do. This involved something as small as making our own name tags and decorations, but could go as elaborate as choreographing our own dance routine.

My favorite holiday memory is a Thanksgiving dinner when my kids were young. I not only cherish this specific holiday because my girls were at such great ages, but my grandmother was there and really became the life of the party! It all started when I gathered all of the kids- my girls, my nephew and my niece. We decided we were going to re-enact a scene from the movie Beetlejuice. You may know it- the scene when everyone is sitting around the table and start singing Day O, The Banana Boat song by Harry Belafonte.

We staged the entire thing. The kids and I rehearsed downstairs how we would pop up one by one and start singing then dance around the table. I figured my family would laugh as I paraded around the table with all the kids. We set up a CD to start playing the song while we were sitting down eating the antipasto.

When our meal started, my daughter went and hit play on the CD. There was a couple minutes of silence recorded so there was time for everyone to have their plates and start eating. All of a sudden my oldest daughter popped up and pretended that she had no control of the words coming out of her mouth as we heard “DAY O” come from the speakers in the living room. My youngest daughter was the next to pop up followed by my nephew, niece, and then me. We got up on the chairs and started dancing and frolicked around the table. What I never expected was my grandmother to follow us around the table as if she had rehearsed the entire routine with us.

I am so grateful I set up my video camera and captured those beautiful memories. We get to look back and laugh as if we’re seeing it for the first time. And most importantly I get to see my grandmother laughing and smiling and enjoying what she loved most in the world- her family. The past few years we haven’t been able to watch the video because its an 8mm, but luckily thanks to YesVideo it will soon be on a DVD and preserved forever. This year I REALLY can’t wait to continue the tradition of watching “The Thanksgiving of Day O” !

Here is a clip of another Thanksgiving. This was the first time a family member had a “real” video camera. This clip is Thanksgiving of me, my mom, my grandma, my aunt, and my daughter- I’m sure you’ll guess it’s the 80’s!

What are some of your holiday traditions?