We are right on the verge of Thanksgiving week and I couldn’t be happier. I am a big fan of Thanksgiving and have racked up so many fond memories from the holiday over the years. Sure, it is Sunday and that means we must go back to work tomorrow but not for long. I think we will all walk into the office Monday morning with motivation to plow through the next few days and then get home to celebrate our blessings.

Over the years, I have written extensively about Thanksgiving via Don’t Blink. Today, to get us all excited for this special holiday, I want to re-share some of my greatest hits. If you read this post and the accompanied linked posts, I guarantee that you will be so fired up for Thanksgiving that you might host your own Macy’s Day Parade smack dab in the middle of your neighborhood streets tonight.

My mom and I both love Thanksgiving. Are you ready for another great Turkey Day?

The Official Start of the Holidays – When you wake up tomorrow morning, it just won’t be Thanksgiving week. Rather, it will be the official kickoff of the holiday season. In my book, I consider the Monday before Thanksgiving the start of the glorious winter holiday season. Starting tomorrow and lasting through New Year’s Day, we will all enjoy 42 days of festive fun. In this particular blog post from over five years ago, I give a preview of the joy and magic that await us all.

The holiday season is here!

Thanksgiving Eve – Like it or not, Thanksgiving is associated with the biggest party day of the year. The Wednesday that precedes Turkey Day, AKA Thanksgiving Eve, is notorious for sleepy neighborhood watering holes transforming into party bars filled to capacity with eager college students and other people marking their triumphant returns to their hometowns. The excitement of the start of a long weekend combined with the nostalgia of being back at mom and dad’s brings out the party animal in many. Last year, I wrote about my own Thanksgiving Eve memories.

My brother and I out on Thanksgiving Eve in 2010.

Thanksgiving Traditions – Eating something sweet for breakfast, watching the Macy’s Day Parade, and enjoying ham with the turkey are all new Thanksgiving traditions that I enjoy with Sidney. Of course, before I met Sid I practiced some older traditions with my family. Days before I celebrated my first Thanksgiving in Myrtle Beach, I wrote about some of those traditions we held dear and how Sidney was going to try to incorporate some of them into our east coast celebration. We all have our own unique Thanksgiving traditions and they are a major reason why the holiday is so special.

We all have our Thanksgiving traditions. Growing up, my family would always have lasagna as part of the Turkey Day spread.

TURKEY – Turkey, turkey, turkey, turkey. What is the first thing that pops into your head when someone says Thanksgiving? If you don’t say turkey, I am calling you a liar. Thanksgiving is synonymous with this particular bird that is the headliner of any Turkey Day feast. How much do I love it? Quite a bit! In 2016, I wrote about my favorite holiday meats. How does turkey match up against prime rib and ham? You will have to read to find out.

You can’t have Thanksgiving without turkey.

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Are you in the “turkey” spirit now? Let me be the first to wish you a joyful Thanksgiving week. If you happen to be traveling, please arrive at your destination safely. Thanks for reading Don’t Blink and have a great Sunday.