{10 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Feel Extra Special This Year}

There’s something about Thanksgiving that just feels sacred... a whole day set aside for gratitude, family, and slowing down long enough to remember how blessed we really are. It’s one of my favorite days of the year...the smells from the kitchen, the laughter of family, the coziness that fills the house.

But it’s also easy for Thanksgiving to slip into routine... the same menu, the same rush, the same checklist of things to do. So this year, I’m being intentional about creating moments that make it feel a little more meaningful... a little more memorable... and a whole lot more centered on thankfulness and Jesus.

Here are 10 simple ways to make Thanksgiving feel extra special this year

1. Start the Morning with Gratitude

Before the hustle of the day begins, take a few quiet moments to thank God for His goodness. Pour your coffee, sit on the porch, open your Bible, and start the day with prayer. When gratitude begins with Him, everything else just feels lighter and more peaceful.

2. Set the Table with Heart

I’ve always believed that a table tells a story. Whether you’re using heirloom dishes, thrifted finds, or paper plates... fill it with love. Add small touches that make it warm and welcoming...candles, greenery, a handwritten verse card at each place setting. It doesn’t have to be perfect... just heartfelt.

3. Include a Thankfulness Tradition

Start a new family tradition this year. Maybe everyone writes something they’re thankful for and puts it in a gratitude jar, or you go around the table and share one blessing from the year. It’s amazing how hearing others’ gratitude multiplies your own.

4. Invite Someone New to the Table

Thanksgiving is all about community and hospitality. Is there someone who doesn’t have family nearby? A friend, neighbor, or church member who could use some warmth this season? Open your table...that’s where the love of Jesus shines the brightest.

5. Play Worship Music While You Cook

Turn the kitchen into a place of praise! I love filling the house with worship music while I’m cooking. It transforms even the busiest moments into sacred space. Bonus points if you sneak in a few dance moves between stirring the gravy and basting the turkey.

6. Take a Walk and Soak It In

After the meal, grab your people and go for a little walk. Feel the crisp fall air, watch the leaves swirl around, and talk about your favorite parts of the day. Some of the sweetest conversations happen when you’re walking together under an open Texas sky.

7. Share Stories from the Past

Pull out the old photo albums or tell stories about Thanksgivings gone by. The funny ones, the sentimental ones, the ones that remind you of family members no longer here. Those memories are treasures... and they keep your roots strong.

8. Create a Kids’ Corner

If you’ve got little ones around, set up a small kids’ table with fun place mats, crayons, and a “Thankful Tree” where they can write what they’re thankful for. Giving them a way to participate in gratitude makes the day even sweeter.

9. Capture the Ordinary Moments

Don’t forget to take photos, not just the posed ones, but the in-between ones too. The laughter in the kitchen, the hands passing dishes, the sunset after dinner. Those simple snapshots are the ones you’ll cherish later.

10. End the Day with Worship and Reflection

Before everyone heads home, or before you turn in for the night, take a quiet moment to reflect. Thank God for His faithfulness, for the family that fills your table, for the love that fills your home, and for the grace that fills your heart.

Thanksgiving isn’t about perfection... it’s about presence. It’s about slowing down long enough to notice the blessings right in front of you, the people, the laughter, the messy moments, and the One who gives them all.

This year, let’s be intentional about gratitude... about keeping Jesus at the center of it all. Because when we do, even the smallest moments become something sacred.

🧡 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 136:1