What was your Thanksgiving like this year?

My wife’s family came into town and stays at our house. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday mostly. They came into town on Wednesday and left on Friday. Then we went to my side of the family on Saturday afternoon.

Did you do anything special to celebrate, besides eating?

Not really. No, we mainly ate. A lot of food. Good food. Normally I’m in charge of the deviled eggs. I played some backyard football with my nephew’s and watched football on Saturday because my brother in laws are into it.

What is the best Thanksgiving memory that you have? 

Growing up, it was Sunday afternoon of Thanksgiving break that my family always decorated for Christmas. That was our tradition, which was always really special.

Are there any special traditions that you and your family partake in during the holidays season?

Well, that surrounds food again, but over Christmas. Every meal, every year for the time that they’re together from just before Christmas Eve up to Christmas Day, it all seems to be the same. There’s steak and shrimp for Christmas Eve dinner. There’s cheese quesadillas for lunch on Christmas Eve. It’s a tradition from my wife’s side of the family.

What foods are special to you surrounding the holidays?

It’s a tie between deviled eggs and good dressing. Over the years, I’ve sort of created my own deviled eggs, some that are sweeter in nature, some that are spicier in nature. I like doing that, I enjoy making them. Both my mom and my dad’s mom both made different kinds of dressing, but it’s still any – mostly any kind of dressing, I will partake and love it.

Do you think that consumerism has grown into a large cultural aspect of the holiday season in the United States?

I do think that stores utilize the holidays to make a lot of their money, they push Valentine’s Day, they push July 4, they push Christmas. I don’t know that they push Thanksgiving so hard. They push Black Friday but that’s looking forward to Christmas a lot. And obviously, they push Halloween to make money.

I like how Thanksgiving is at least a little bit skipped over. That’s not as focused on from a consumeristic standpoint. Kind of leave Thanksgiving alone a little bit. Even though Black Friday comes right after, Thanksgiving itself is just left to be a good, nice family holiday.

Were you especially thankful to your family on Thursday?

I think family is super important. And not everybody lives near their family and can see them for Thanksgiving. I do think families super important and for many, Thanksgiving is one of the times when they get together. I think parents should spend a lot of time with their kids. I think grandparents should spend time with their grandkids and it’s time to just celebrate being a family, being there for one another.

In many ways families is one of the main things that I’m thankful for. I know that a lot of people feel the same way. Unfortunately, not everybody has a family that they’re thankful for. They look towards their friends to spend time with during special holidays, and in some ways, that’s unfortunate. In many ways, to have friends that seemed like family that’s also a great thing.