We are hosting this year, rotating with my siblings who live far away so we each do what we prefer. Dh prefers dinner at 6 so that’s how it’ll be this year. We used to dress a bit more but things are pretty casual these days. Some will be in jeans but I’ll probably wear black pants and a sweater. During the day everyone who’s not cooking goes to the movies, comes to the house afterward around 3ish. Appetizers are out to nosh on. Personally, I’d prefer to eat earlier so there’s more time to digest but, since dh does all the cooking and it’s all my family, it does seem fair that he gets to pick the time we eat.
This is going to be an umpteenth Thanksgiving I host. When I host, I always wear something presentable yet comfortable, like a DVF wrap dress and my fuzzy Ugg slippers. Mr. wears a dark dress shirt (usually Calibrate) and nice jeans (Armani or similar). The cats groom their fur and wear it. The guests wear whatever they want.
Gather at 12 noon. Eat at 1. Then visit the cemetery while it is still light out. And walk there.
We tend toward nice casual. Most people are in jeans and sweaters. H tends to do jeans and a button down shirt. Some of the women might be in leggings, long shirt. I am happy with the shift to not have to dress up, but anyone who prefers to is very welcome to.
Casual, wear what you want here. I do all the cooking. One family brings a couple of pies. My H and family members know (after 25 years of us hosting both Thanksgiving and Christmas) to let me do my thing. I don’t really like help in the kitchen, but they all congregate at the kitchen table while i finish up and I get to be part of the conversation. Do you split up the work or does one person do it all?
Casual at my house. On some holidays, my biggest dress accomplishment is the fact that I was able to get showered and put on clean clothes to start cooking. I will change out of the t-shirt that I start my day with to a sweater/top.
@pyschmomma
I do tend to do a lot of the cooking because I have had the cooking of most of the people who attend thanksgiving dinner at my house (I pass). I am tried my hand at home made dinner rolls this morning. Just sent test batch to 2 of my sisters and my daughter for feedback. If they like it, it will go on the menu.
However, they do help with the table settings (we all have pieces that was passed to us from my mother that we use on the table) and the clean-up, which I greatly appreciate.
@psychmomma We have holiday assignments. My brother has Thanksgiving, my sister Christmas and I have Easter. For each holiday, each family has food assignments. For Thanksgiving, I’m assigned two pies (I cheat with ready made Trader Joe crusts), wine, and green beans (I don’t like the casserole, I just pan fried Trader Joe frozen green beans, olive oil, garlic and maybe pine nuts). Easy for me this year. Sometimes, my BIL goes rogue and for Easter he surprised me and started bringing lamb (he’s an amazing cook). I’m pretty chill. We also use china for the holidays. Still love my plain white china with cobalt blue rim.
Nice casual dress.
Everyone is assigned a dish as our family t’givings run to 40+ people most years. At least two turkeys are needed and usually a brisket, too. Host always does one of the turkeys. Help is always hired to do clean up from the get go all the way to the end.
4:00 here after the football game.
We are casual. Most, if not all, will wear jeans and a clean shirt (ha). I ususally get my shower while something is cooking in the oven, then wear an old T-shirt with my jeans to cook in. I change tops before dinner, but usually don’t bother with shoes and just wear my slippers.
I bust out one of four sets of china and the good silver-plate and cloth napkins for Thanksgiving. My table setting is always pretty and way more elegant than my family is used to. For Christmas, I have a set of cheap Christmas dinner ware (Holiday Hostess with a tree on it) and I use red plastic “real” glasses (as opposed to Red Solo cups) that cost more than the plates. Usually paper napkins.
My dishwasher does not work so I wash as I go while cooking. After dinner, everyone helps clear the table, but I usually wash all the dishes by hand after everyone leaves. My mom used to try to help me clean things, but my dad commented that he hoped we weren’t going to have to vacuum and mop before we started the traditional card game, so now we just get them near the sink. Last year, my D was home to help dry and put away which was a huge help.
I’m going to start another thread with centerpiece ideas.
One Thanksgiving was memorable for what H’s side did. 500 mile trip so they left early and got here early afternoon. That was fine as meal time can be whenever. What I disliked is that instead of leaving a 1/2 hour later they waited to take showers when they arrived. Four people who had 4+ baths in their house came. immediately took over our 3 baths (including the master) plus all the wet towels. Meanwhile we sat waiting to visit and couldn’t use our own bathrooms. A rude message sent. The same people who gave personal gifts to H and son but got me a food sealer I needed to return. I think it may have been that trip. Oh, and I was good about making sure there were vegetarian main dishes they would like (Indian) along with fowl. Some people know how to look after their best interests without thought for their hosts.
There, unloaded.
Thanksgiving to me is casual- weather dependent clothing (here T shirts and shorts most likely, up north long sleeves and pants). I hated visiting out of town relatives for holidays as a kid- sister and I in skirts/knee socks from church while our brother got to be comfortable in pants/casual shirt. So not fair.
Centerpieces- keep them low enough people can see across the table. Seasonal flowers have been a standby for me in years past.
I am invited to Thanksgiving party on Friday noon this year. This is because the family members of the host have to attend their in-law Thanksgiving parties on Thursday.
We are casual. Once upon a time, we dressed up for holidays. My brothers and their families do not, so we stopped. When we spend holiday with the in laws (rarely, as they live far away), we dress up … and eat in the early afternoon.
By the way, @SouthernHope … are you originally from the midwest? “You guys” is definitely not something I have ever heard in the south (except from my D, when she was in college in the south).
We used to dress up more - if my sons are wearing particularly ratty t-shirts I make them change. But the best you can get out of my older son is a plain long sleeve tee. I think he owns one button up white shirt that he wears to weddings. If we go to my mother’s family giant Thanksgiving (takes place in a church hall and is 50-60 people) we do dress up to business casual level. I like going, but it’s a shlep to get to Boston so we rarely make the trip.
For the last 10 years we have hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our vacation home (which is on an island). Everyone who comes stays for the weekend so we have a full house from Tues until Sunday of Thanksgiving week. We have 14 people this year. On Thanksgiving morning most of our guests participate in the local Turkey Plunge (jumping into the ocean) which is fundraiser for the library. There are probably 300 hundred people who are crazy enough to jump into the Atlantic Ocean in Novemeber. When everyone gets back from the Plunge we have clam chowder and don’t eat again until dinner at 6 pm.
People wear whatever they feel like, from very casual shorts and t-shirt to dressy khaki’s and nice shirt to holiday gear. It’s just fun to get together.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because we don’t need to eat at a certain time and can be casual. I am glad to see I am not the only one wearing slippers to dinner, although no one has never noticed! I prepare in my sweatpants and t-shirt, going upstairs a few times in between setting tables, cutting vegetables, etc… to shower, put on make-up and doing my hair. I then finally put on my jeans and a top before my parents arrive, usually a hour before the rest of the guests. My main requirement for my top is something that is machine washable, as by the end of the evening, I usually have some food or soap suds on my top 
^ Leaving time to get myself ready is always the only part of the day that is a struggle. I try to schedule it in, but often end up running upstairs right before people arrive. I’ve switched to showering first, wearing a t-shirt to cook, then doing hair/makeup in the middle, and changing tops in the last half hour.
Tomorrow I start baking the pies! After I go grocery shopping.
Jacket and tie at our house, though guests can dress the way they want. We do this at Easter and Christmas Eve as well.
Cocktails, bubbly, and appetizers at two. Sit down for dinner and Beaujolais Nouveau at four. Pies (plural, there will be lots of them), coffee and digestifs around 7.
It’s not a tradition for us without all the right types of alcohol. We made a trip into Seattle for the craft limoncello and the blood orange equivalent yesterday, in the freezer and ready for Thursday.