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Being chosen to host Thanksgiving is not only a huge honor, but can mean quite a bit of responsibility. Hosting can entail creating the space for family and friends to gather and even shouldering one of the most important meals of the year, usually for a larger crowd.
That also means being the host for Thanksgiving requires a certain amount of organization and attention to detail. Hosting in itself is already a big undertaking, adding in the element of one of the biggest days of the year for family events, it can appear a bit daunting. However, hosting does not have to be stressful.
The key to hosting is to detail out your goals beforehand, create a manageable plan for yourself, and then execute them without stressing yourself out. This means creating a plan that aligns with your personal schedule, and then designing a menu and plan to have the best Thanksgiving you can create.
Here is how to best execute hosting Thanksgiving dinner!
Clean Your House in the Days Leading Up
Don’t leave your cleaning until the day of Thanksgiving. The day is jam-packed all on its own, so make as much space as you can for yourself. Break up your cleaning into a few deep cleaning spaces over the week leading up to Thanksgiving. On the morning of Thanksgiving, do touch-ups like light dusting, sweeping, and mopping. Spot clean where necessary.
A schedule for cleaning can look like deep-cleaning the weekend before Thanksgiving. Cleaning the dining room and living room on Monday, the kitchen on Tuesday, and the bathrooms on Wednesday. Thursday, before dinner, go through and dust, spot clean, sweep, and mop. Choose an option that allows you to complete these without burning yourself out before the big day.
Tell Everyone A Time, Place, and What to Bring
Be sure to communicate all necessary details to guests as early as possible so that you are not bothered with it closer to Thanksgiving. One thing you don’t need when you’re trying to reconstruct a home to hold a crowd and cook a massive dinner, are messages asking “What time should we be there?” or “Should we bring anything?”
Tell your guests a clear time that works with your schedule. Also, decide early if you want assistance or for guests to bring anything and let each person know definitely what you want them to do or bring. If you need someone to show up early, communicate that to them.
Prepare As Much As You Can Ahead of Time
If any component of your meal can be prepared ahead of time, do so. Anything from the cranberry sauce, to the punch can be prepped in the days leading up, creating space for you to do the major parts on the day of. You can also partially prepare parts of recipes and assemble or finish them on Thanksgiving Day.
The key is to aim to create as much space for yourself on the day so that you can adequately prepare the main meal without rushing either yourself or the meal.
Make Appetizers to Create Time and Flow
Appetizers give the host time to maneuver and direct the flow of the evening. If you want everyone to eat at the same time, you need time for guests to arrive. Placing appetizers out gives the guests who have arrived something to do that does not bother the host.
Appetizers also slow the evening down and allow guests time to acclimate to the evening, or to each other, without having them sit in a home, filled with the smell of delicious food, hungry.
Create appetizers that can be made with ease or ahead of time so that you are not creating more work for yourself. Some appetizers that go well with traditional Thanksgiving meals can be found here if you need ideas. These appetizers are specifically chosen to stand out but still feel familiar enough to want to enjoy.
Have Entertainment and Interactive Activities
If your Thanksgiving requires a little more than a meal and a television, whether for antsy kiddos or bored adults, create interactive elements and provide sources of entertainment. Things that can serve multiple purposes, such as creating an Apple Cider Bar, can provide guests with an activity and a drink. You can also consider other interactive activities like a cookie decorating station.
HOW TO MAKE AN APPLE CIDER BAR
If you want something that will take up more time and does not require setup, set up a game table with seating and a pile of board games. Let your guests guide the rest.
Create A Festive Thanksgiving Space
The main event for Thanksgiving is, obviously, Thanksgiving dinner. However, if you want to create a name for yourself as the best Thanksgiving host, you want it to be a bit more than just another meal. Outside of making delicious food and creating a welcoming atmosphere outside the dinner table, consider bringing that element to the table as well.
Create an ambiance by setting the table with gorgeous Thanksgiving-themed dinnerware and complimentary silverware and glasses. Style a stunning centerpiece to complement your dinnerware. You can even make place cards that fit the theme well and ensure that conversation keeps flowing naturally.
Host A Delicious Meal
Once you have set the table and created a welcoming and cozy space, it is time for Thanksgiving dinner, the main event. Most people have Thanksgiving dinner already figured out because we often fall back on traditions, which is completely fine.
If you want to consider other dietary preferences or if you want to just add some flare to Thanksgiving dinner, then consider some other fun ideas such as Vegetarian dinner ideas. And if you aren’t looking to switch up the main course, consider something a little less controversial like fun Thanksgiving dessert ideas.
Ultimately, Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and enjoying yourself, so the real secret is to plan to the best of your ability, and execute it as well as possible, but never let the plans get in the way of the real goal. If something cannot be done or does not go to plan, it’s ok.
