When I had the kids at home still, I spent the day before Thanksgiving baking. I had to listen to Christmas carols while I was doing this. It put me in the holiday spirit and the kids loved coming home to the smells of baked goods and Christmas carols. On Thanksgiving I would get up super stinkin' early to prep the turkey and begin breakfast. The kids usually had cinnamon rolls or pancakes and bacon. The parade would be on the tv and the bird was named. Yes we named it so that when it got it's butter bath I would call it by name. The kids loved this!! Our first one we did this little tradition with was named Butter Butt. Another year we got a breast... her name was Dolly.
For the past two years others have hosted Thanksgiving and I have shown up at their place. It's worked okay and, as a matter of fact, Spritz and the General will be here with me for Thanksgiving this year. We will either go to someone else's place or host it all in my little apartment. Next year and on, we will have it at our place and the kids or whomever can return to spending it with me and mine.
Christmas is a whole other story...