Opinion: My family’s unique Thanksgiving tradition
Holiday traditions are eagerly celebrated each year. This article details a rather odd tradition that Savanna Hoover’s grandpa proposed one Thanksgiving.
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It’s that time of the year again. A time where families come together, long held traditions are carried out and the atmosphere somehow seems more cheerful.
While most families follow different traditions each Thanksgiving, mine holds a rather unusual one. Each Friday following Thanksgiving, my grandpa hosts a competition between me and my three older sisters to see who can save the most money on Black Friday.
The tradition began several years ago when my grandpa decided to visit for Thanksgiving and offered this odd deal to my sisters and I.
“Hey kids, you want to make some easy money? ” he asked.
Naturally, we all accepted.
The competition begins each year on a Friday afternoon at the Barnes & Noble inside of a mall close to my home. My sisters and I begin by grabbing coffee and playfully bantering over who will win.
We then split into pairs of two and my grandpa gives each of us $20 and goes over the rules:
- You must actually use what you buy
- Keep all the receipts of your purchases and savings
- You cannot spend over $20
- You must return to Barnes & Noble in 2 hours
The winner receives a cash prize of an additional $20.
My sisters and I venture the mall stores eagerly searching for the best sales as my grandpa enjoys his coffee and recently purchased books within the bookstore’s cafeteria.
While my two oldest sisters, Brittany and Ashley, usually win the competition, my other sister Katie and I have gotten better each year.
This year I plan on winning.
When the games finishes, we all return home and talk about our savings and newly bought items with the rest of my family. Everyone laughs about the previous events as we eat Thanksgiving leftovers.
“It’s something I look forward to every year,” Katie says.
“Especially the turkey sandwiches at midnight,” Ashley adds.
“I wanted a way to spend time with my grandchildren and see them bond as sisters through a simple tradition like this,” grandpa said.
Although this started as a silly game that my grandpa proposed, it has turned into a yearly tradition that is celebrated by my family every year. I couldn’t imagine a Thanksgiving without it.
Featured Image by Tom Gill, obtained via creativecommons.org
Edited by Jessica Carr
