What is Practice Thanksgiving?
There are two meanings to the word “practice.” First, is to repeat something over and over until you master it, hence the mantra “practice makes perfect.” Second is to carry out or perform a particular activity, method or custom (i.e. we implemented the practice of intensive grazing). Twelve years ago, we started a tradition we call “Practice Thanksgiving,” and it has taken on both meanings of the word practice. Practice Thanksgiving started with the first meaning. Fresh out of college and looking to establish ourselves as young adults, we volunteered to cook the Thanksgiving turkey for our families. But, a week in advance we realized we could use some practice, so we invited several friends over for an evening of trying our hand at some of the Thanksgiving classics, turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and rolls. It turned out to be a pretty fun time, and we learned just enough to make a nice turkey the next week with our family.
The Maturation of Practice Thanksgiving
As Practice Thanksgiving grew, new traditions within the event developed. We could not house every friend or co-worker we knew, so we started getting strategic with our invite list. We would specifically invite people from different backgrounds and contexts in our lives. For instance, we loved inviting someone we had just gotten to know in the last year, as well as reaching out to friends we had started losing touch with. We invited coworkers, friends from church, neighbors, and folks who had babysat our kids. It was always fun to see people from different spheres of our lives connect, share stories and grow their own friendships.
With so many people coming from different backgrounds, we needed to start the tradition of sharing the story of Practice Thanksgiving. I always share how the event started when we were fresh out of college and make an effort to highlight anyone in attendance who has been to all or several of our past Practice Thanksgivings. It’s a fun way to kick off the meal and share why we are thankful for the friends in our lives. This year, we were able to share with new friends the many ways we were thankful for how they welcomed us into the community and helped us in so many ways ranging from providing us with personal friendship to connecting us with local resources to teaching valuable farm and ranch know-how.
The Practice of Thanksgiving
As the years pass by, Practice Thanksgiving is becoming less about the aforementioned first definition and more about the latter. This year, the food was amazing and it is clear we and our friends don’t need much practice to put delicious food on the table. But, gathering around a table with the purpose of practicing thanksgiving is still incredibly valuable. Now that kids tend to outnumber adults, our focus has transitioned to teaching the practice of thanksgiving to the next generation. Not only are they learning along with us as we practice in the kitchen, they are learning the more valuable lesson of giving thanks with and for friends.
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