How To Spend Your First Thanksgiving In Jersey City
Usually, much of Thanksgiving thought and planning goes into the Thanksgiving turkey, the family’s favorite side dishes, and desserts everyone adores. However, there are other things you will need to take care of besides the essential holiday menu planning and preparation. Even though the feast will take the center of the stage, it will probably get devoured in an hour. This will leave you in need of entertaining your (extended) family for the rest of the weekend. For that reason, we are about to help you make a fun to-do list for your first Thanksgiving in Jersey City. Enjoy reading!
Fun Things To Do On Thanksgiving In Jersey City
If you thrive on planning your holidays, we’ve got you covered! We are here to help you think of fun things to do on your first Thanksgiving once to become a JC citizen. It’s a wise idea you’ve decided to use this season as an opportunity to relocate. Just make sure you contact your moving company and schedule everything in advance. Then, once you settle in and give your new home a personal touch, you will be able to welcome your family over for Thanksgiving. What better way to spend one of the yummiest holidays than by welcoming your closest ones to the house you now call your own.
Let’s first take a look at the one and only – the Thanksgiving dinner menu.
The menu
The whole purpose of this holiday is for the loved ones to get together. And the best way to get a family together is over a wonderfully arranged table for a special occasion. Therefore, you will want to ensure you get the food and drinks covered before planning out other activities.
Keeping in mind that you have just recently moved to Jersey City, it’s okay not to be too hard on yourself and take some things off your plate, such as food. Luckily, there are numerous places here that will offer special menus for the day so you can get a delivery.
Here’s a list of our favorite places where you can get takeaways. Or, you might decide to have dinner and then return home for some relaxation and fun.
- Amiya if you would like some Indian food (we recommend you get a pre-reservation)
- Harry’s daughter (a gastropub with delicious turkey breasts and cranberry sorrel chutney)
- Bistro la Source (for a sit-down, takeaway, and delivery)
- Pinwheel Garden (better to order in advance, as they offered a small batch of a la carte Thanksgiving plates last year)
- Liberty House (for dinner with a view)
- Satis Bistro (for a delicious 3-course meal)
On the other hand, if you are fond of meal prep, be sure to check out our list of the best Thanksgiving recipes.
Family ideas and activities for Thanksgiving 2021
There’s more to the day than just enjoying the food for Thanksgiving in Jersey City. So, here’s a list to keep everyone busy before and after dinner.
Enjoy a post-meal walk together
Sometimes the simplest things are everyone’s favorite. After you’ve enjoyed all the deliciousness on the table, take your family for a walk around the neighborhood. This is a great way to avoid the “food coma” scenario, which can quickly happen when everyone heads out to the couch after they’ve eaten.
Going for a walk will be good for your body and soul. This way, you can get to know the city better and enjoy the terrific Christmas lights we are sure some of your neighbors have already put up.
Movie marathon
For a more relaxed afternoon or night, you could pop some popcorn, cozy up on the armchairs, the couch, the floor, and enjoy some of your favorite holiday movies or shows.
Luckily, the Internet’s here to help you find a list of the best Thanksgiving shows and movies on Netflix or HBO GO.
Play games
Since Thanksgiving is all about family, be sure to include some of the best family games on occasion. Here are some ideas.
- Scavenger hunt – a classic that everyone can play;
- A memory game with Thanksgiving motives;
- A big Thanksgiving-themed puzzle;
- Some of the classic board games, like Monopoly;
- Pin the Feather on Turkey, which the youngest ones will enjoy;
- Play a Thanksgiving-themed bingo;
- Go hunting for mini pumpkins;
- Gratitude A-Z to keep the conversation rolling at the table, and so on.
Make arts ‘n’ crafts
Another way to spend fun and quality time with your family that keeps the little ones engaged and makes them proud once you finish is to do some crafting together.
Numerous fun and easy ideas are available on Pinterest, but here are some of our favorites!
- Create a tree of thanks (take the ideas shared around the table and add them to your very own Tree of Thanks);
- Craft a family tree and include everyone’s pictures on it;
- Enjoy Thanksgiving coloring pages both for the adults and the kids and get creative with the way of coloring them;
- Make coasters or table decor by making leaf placemats of colored paper, cardboard, or felt;
- Craft turkeys from pine cones, feathers, and handprints;
- Or, you can even get some Christmas crafts and make unique ornaments with the kiddoes.
Thanksgiving is one of America’s favorite holidays. And it has all the right to be. You will get a day off work to enjoy fantastic food and have fun times with your loved ones. Therefore, be sure to savor the process and even do some good deeds, like donating food. We hope the ideas from this article help you enjoy your first Thanksgiving in Jersey City. Happy Thanksgiving!
Author Bio: Angie Sims
Angie Sims used to work in the traveling industry for 6 years, and now she works in the relocation industry. For the last 3 years, she has been specializing in helping people with their domestic and international relocation. She is also a full-time mom and a part-time blog writer. From her own experiences, she writes about traveling and moving with children on her blog.
