How to Set Up for Thanksgiving Dinner

Prepare early for Thanksgiving dinner to help reduce stress.

The three-day celebration and feast that occurred in 1621 is often hailed as the first Thanksgiving in the United States. The holiday is now celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. Careful planning leading up to the holiday can help reduce the stress associated with preparing for the festivities. Does this Spark an idea?

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Menu
Shopping list
Decorations

Instructions

Planning
- 1
  
  Discuss the holiday with family and friends to find out who will be attending and if they will be bringing any guests. Determine if others will be making contributions to the meal to limit duplicate dishes.
- 2
  
  Plan your menu several weeks to a month in advance to take advantage of sales leading up to the holiday. Decide on the theme for your decorations and add necessary components to your shopping list.
- 3
  
  Select items to create Thanksgiving decorations or purchase decorations at one time to ensure they coordinate well.
- 4
  
  Observe the sales circulars for local stores and purchase canned, dry and frozen goods as they go on sale. Purchase fresh herbs, produce, flowers and poultry a few days prior to the holiday.
Preparation
- 5
  
  Create your Thanksgiving decorations in the weeks leading up to the holiday as you have time. Attempt to have everything ready at least one week before they will be used.
- 6
  
  Prepare cookies, breads, pies, cakes and casseroles that can be stored in the freezer several weeks in advance. Place them in the freezer with reheating or baking instructions printed on index cards taped to the container.
- 7
  
  Defrost any items you will be using on Thanksgiving one to two days early. If your turkey is frozen, consult the instructions included in the packaging, as the size of the bird will determine when you should begin defrosting it.
- 8
  
  The night before Thanksgiving, decorate the house, entryway and table. Put the table setting out and place labeled index cards to mark where specific dishes should be placed.
- 9
  
  Complete food preparations on Thanksgiving day. Place food on the table and welcome guests to a calm and inviting home.