How are your plans for Thanksgiving coming along? Thanksgiving is just around the corner, less than a month away! A bit of thoughtful preparation now can make life far less hectic later, helping you be a more peaceful hostess, or a gracious guest. Whatever your role, take time to choose hygge and joy with your loved ones.
"What is Hygge?"
“The Danish word hygge (pronounce hyoo-gah) is taking pleasure in celebrating the ordinary; spending a cozy evening with family or friends, sipping cocoa, sitting by the fireplace, perhaps dinner by candlelight…Words such as warmth, living well, security, coziness, comfort, reassurance, family, fellowship, friendship, and simplicity are frequently used to describe the concept of Hygge.”
To some extent, joy is a choice; it’s not determined by our circumstances. But over-scheduling, planning too much food, or leaving chaos in your wake can steal that joy. So, keep it simple. Focus on enjoying your family rather than being “cumbered about with much serving.” A little preparation now can help your Thanksgiving be more hygge, and far more joyful.
Below are six simple ways to prepare for a cozy, hygge-filled Thanksgiving.
1. Preliminary Considerations
Are you hosting, or will you be a guest this year?
If you’re hosting, will guests be contributing? Will you make assignments or keep it as a potluck? Consider a simple menu of dishes that can be made ahead. Are there items your children or husband can help prepare? Let others help!
If you’re going to be a guest, what will you contribute? Even if your hostess is handling everything, it’s kind to offer to bring something, or lend a hand in the kitchen or during cleanup. A small, thoughtful gesture like a flower arrangement or a beverage is a hygge way to thank your hostess.
Mapping Your Day
Once you’ve answered these questions, you can begin to plan and map your day.
A MAP is your “Master Actualization Plan,”a guide showing where you are, where you’re going, how to get there, and possibilities. Put your must-haves in red (your priorities) and let the rest stay flexible. Plans are guides, not straightjackets!
When your plan is in place, consider what can be made ahead, frozen, or reheated..
Think through the timing: for dishes that must be cooked on Thanksgiving Day, schedule backward from serving time. Remember to allow the turkey time to rest before carving. The simpler the meal, the more time you have to enjoy your guests.
- Use a slow cooker or pressure cooker to free up oven space.
- Pies can be made the night before, or use quality frozen or fresh ones.
- Rolls can rise while the turkey cooks and bake while it rests—or buy pre-baked rolls and reheat them.
- Prepare salads the night before or morning of.
- Heat side dishes while the turkey rests before carving.
If you’re hosting extended family, consider a potluck, just like the first Thanksgiving! Assign general categories (rolls, salad, side, dessert) and let your guests enjoy being creative. Resist the urge to micro-manage; it relieves your stress and theirs, making the day more hygge for everyone.
2. Schedule with Care
Take a look at your current schedule. What are your must-dos and want-to-dos? Include a few want-to activities, but don’t let them dominate your time, especially if you have young children. The fewer commitments you stack, the more hygge time you’ll have with family and friends.
3. Prepare Simply
To prepare is to make yourself ready, doing what you can in advance.
If you’re following the Become a Victory Lady invitation, don’t skip your “thirty-minute power clean”! It’s a gentle, daily rhythm that helps your home stay welcoming without last-minute stress, and without binge cleaning. Gradual preparation allows you to be more present, and more hygge, when family and guests arrive.
4. Focus on Your Family and Guests
It’s easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of holiday activities. Instead of scheduling several back-to-back events, choose one meaningful activity per day. Over-scheduling can exhaust both parents and children.
Focus on simple family traditions that help you re-center and connect, such as creating a Thankful Tree or sharing one thing you’re grateful for before grace. In our home, we fill a gratitude jar throughout November and read the notes aloud on Thanksgiving Day.
Do less, and hygge more, with your loved ones
5. Unplug
During meals and activities, be fully present. Put away devices and let yourself savor the moment. Hygge is about presence, not perfection, being right where you are, heart and soul.
6. Debrief
After Thanksgiving, take a few minutes to reflect. Discuss what worked well, what didn’t, and what you might simplify next year. The best time to do this is while the memories are still fresh. Simplicity leaves room for joy, and hygge flourishes when we have space to breathe.
This is also a great time to jot down notes or a light plan for next year’s Thanksgiving! As you practice doing less production and more connection, hygge will naturally follow.
As we practice these six simple habits, we can find joy in the journey through Thanksgiving and embrace hygge in the season ahead.
Enjoy!
A Classic American Thanksgiving Devotional
Are you tired of Thanksgiving being lost between Halloween and Christmas? Do you want to help your family see that Thanksgiving is more than a feast and a day to watch sporting events?
Start a new tradition! Celebrate Thanksgiving all month long!
A Classic American Thanksgiving Devotional is a 30 Day Anthology
150+ page daily anthology of Bible verses, quotes, poems, hymns, Presidential Proclamations, Classic Thanksgiving Stories, and daily Thanks-living activities.
See a sample HERE.
Created in 2015.
Printable e-format - Retail $19.95
25% OFF Discount Code THANKS2025
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