“For me, Thanksgiving means family, shopping and quality time with loved ones. When I was growing up, our large gatherings included extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles and many cousins). While the adults cooked, the cousins played outside. Such fun memories! After I got married, the tradition changed little except for alternating years between my husband’s family and mine. Another tradition that started when I was a child but has continued into adulthood is Black Friday shopping, something I now enjoy with my daughter. This year, I’m especially looking forward to Thanksgiving, because it will be the first time my daughter, who is a freshman at University of California, Berkeley, comes back home for a visit. We’re all looking forward to a long weekend of enjoying time with her!”
— Shannon Wallace, district attorney of the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit
“I was born on Thanksgiving Day, and my mother has made me a pumpkin pie for my birthday for the last 50 years.”
— Jamey Snyder, Woodstock’s recreation operations manager
“Some of my most favorite Thanksgiving memories come from our children’s school celebrations. Our oldest, who now is in middle school, played a turkey in his kindergarten pageant. When he saw all of us in the audience, he could not hide his excitement. As he pointed, stood up, laughed and grinned at us through the song, I’m sure I heard a man behind us laugh and say: “There’s a ham in the turkeys!”
— Barbara Jacoby, Cherokee County School District’s chief communications officer
“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition and memory is cooking Thanksgiving dinner with my mom and grandmother. Whether we are all together in Georgia or at my mom’s house, in my hometown of Tampa, Florida, the three of us will be in the kitchen the night before and the morning of Thanksgiving making our family favorites. In addition to the turkey, ham and sides, the showstopper always is my grandmother’s cornbread dressing. She passed down the recipe to me, but it always is better when we make it together.”
— Tina Farmer, Cherokee County School District’s executive director of school nutrition and procurement services
“Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! We always put up our Christmas Tree the day after, so after we eat (we’re from Louisiana, so we usually switch it up with a gumbo instead of a traditional meal), boxes and boxes of decorations start making their way to the living room. We’re also pretty competitive, so Thanksgiving also marks the start of the holiday competitions. I’m determined to win the gingerbread house making contest this year! Last year was a super special Thanksgiving because my mom graduated with her master’s degree. She’s always been my therapist, but now she can be everyone else’s, too! The Cherokee County History Center will be open this year, so I’m looking forward to showing my family around the museum and making a new tradition.”
— Harvee White, History Cherokee’s education manager
“Each year, we go to my parents’ house in Jasper for Thanksgiving dinner. My nieces are in charge of baking desserts, and I look forward to what they bake each year. Their creativity always tops the previous year. Last year, we had chocolate cupcakes that looked like little turkeys. It was very cute. As my son grows older and his desire is constantly to be where his cousins are, I have no doubt we will find William in the kitchen baking with them this year. And, I can’t wait to see what they all create together.”
— Brittany Page, Woodstock Police Department’s crime analyst and public information officer
“We always enjoyed a great Thanksgiving feast with extended family growing up. We rotated the Thanksgiving location so as not to put the burden on any one household year after year. There always were clear assignments given prior to confirm what each family was bringing to fill the table. The host house for the holiday would only worry with the turkey, and possibly a ham, if requested. The rest of the family brought assigned sides and appetizers for the meal. Our family usually was assigned the green bean casserole and sausage balls for an appetizer. All items were to be prepared ahead of time and simply needed to warm up to be ready for the Thanksgiving feast, EXCEPT for the coveted turkey gravy. The gravy was the rite of passage of sorts for the women in the family. It was looked to be a responsibility given only to the older generations. The only way to learn how to make it was to watch it being prepared right before the meal was served. There was no written recipe for the gravy, but more of a hands-on, peek in from the side of the kitchen to see the recipe secrets. I can proudly share that I have been asked to prepare the turkey gravy and have passed the test! It’s something I hold onto dearly, as it is a great accomplishment and compliment to be asked to do so within our family.”
— Angie Busby, Canton’s manager of economic development and tourism
“Cooking a big Thanksgiving meal is a tradition in our family. The smell of homemade dressing filling the kitchen brings back memories of grandmothers that have passed away, but recipes that live on. In our home, Thanksgiving also means two kinds of cranberry sauce. While I prefer a well-made cranberry salad, with whole berries and other fresh fruits, my father-in-law must have the can-shaped congealed cranberry side that makes the unmistakable “shloop” sound as it slides ceremoniously from the can after being unwedged by a butter knife. At least the indentions from the can make it easier to slice evenly!”
— Billy Peppers, Canton’s city manager
“We are originally from Venezuela, and Thanksgiving Day is not a tradition there; however, we adopted the tradition here. Because it’s important to live thankful lives, we are grateful for everything that God gives us — life, family, friends, provision. We know Thanksgiving is not about just one day; it must be every day. But we do stop to say, ‘Thank you, Lord.’
“We prepare a special dinner and eat the traditional turkey, but we complement it with hallacas and pan de jamon, which are traditional Venezuelan foods. Usually, we have dinner with family and part of the congregation. Some of them don’t have family here, so we open our home to share with them the beautiful tradition that we learned to enjoy here.”
— Eduardo Brando, senior pastor of Iglesia Pentecostal Unida (UPCI Canton)
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