Accessibility links
A Thanksgiving Feast For The Ears And Eyes It's a cornucopia of holiday food-for-thought, from recipes to original short stories to a music mix fit for stuffing.
Special Series

A Thanksgiving Feast For The Ears And Eyes

Nontraditional Thanksgiving Traditions: Leftovers

For the past couple of days, we've been sharing nontraditional Thanksgiving Day traditions sent in by our listeners. Today, we have two more post-Thanksgiving ones. Melissa Block talks with Linda Shirley Reed of Columbia, S.C., about how she gets rid of leftovers. She also talks with Brian Merrell of Lee's Summit, Mo., about his family's yearly tradition of baking thousands of leibkuchen cookies.

Nontraditional Thanksgiving stories, Pt. 4

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120896292/120896431" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Opinion

Passing The Spoon On Thanksgiving

Many listeners enjoy doing their own thing when it comes to the Thanksgiving holiday. That might include a game of gourd baseball after the feast, or a family quiz, or a marginally appetizing post-meal game of pass-the-spoon. Mary Weberg of Denver shares her tradition.

Nontraditional Thanksgiving stories, Pt. 3

Listen · 4:39
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120872739/120874268" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Opinion

Listeners Share Nontraditional Thanksgiving Stories

While many Americans strive for the usual Thanksgiving fare, some listeners revel in their own, idiosyncratic family traditions this time of year. Gene Koo goes to White Castle with friends every year, and Kim Krzywy serves up a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving feast for her kids for the second meal of the day.

Nontraditional Thanksgiving stories, Pt. 2

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120872723/120872706" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Bailey White: 'The Wedding Horse'

Storyteller Bailey White continues her tradition of writing an original tale on Thanksgiving. She tells the tale of a relationship between a young house painter and an elderly woman. The young man is getting married, and his bride wants him to arrive on horseback — but he doesn't know how to ride a horse. The old lady suggests that he walk instead, which upsets the bride-to-be.

Bailey White: 'The Wedding Horse'

Listen · 18:18
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120688811/120689099" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Plymouth And Provincetown, After The Pilgrims

At Thanksgiving, most of us think of pious Pilgrims in black clothes landing at Plymouth, Mass. But they actually arrived at Provincetown, Mass., first. It's hard to imagine two places more different today. Plymouth makes money from its image as the home of righteous, hard-working, religious pilgrims. Provincetown makes money from its pounding disco beat and artist hangouts.

Plymouth And Provincetown, After The Pilgrims

Listen · 4:36
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120863163/120863142" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thanksgiving Football Preview

NFL games on tap Thursday include the Cowboys' annual Thanksgiving match-up. This year, Dallas faces the Oakland Raiders in Jerry Jones' spectacular new stadium in Texas. The Detroit Lions play their traditional holiday game — this year against the Green Bay Packers. And the New York Giants visit the Denver Broncos.

Thanksgiving Football Preview

Listen · 3:41
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120863158/120863141" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

This Year, No Turkey Feast For Shuttle Astronauts

NASA has pioneered all kinds of irradiated, thermo-stabilized and freeze-dried Thanksgiving delights, like smoked turkey, candied yams and cornbread dressing. But this year, space shuttle Atlantis rocketed off without any special holiday fare because of a late schedule change.

This Year, No Turkey Feast For Shuttle Astronauts

Listen · 3:40
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120836252/120863198" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

When FDR Tried - And Failed - To Move Thanksgiving

In 1939, the nation was thrown into confusion when Franklin Roosevelt tried to move Thanksgiving back a week, hoping to boost Christmas shopping sales. The move didn't work and Congress moved the holiday to the fourth Thursday in November permanently in 1941. Melanie Kirkpatrick, author of Happy Franksgiving: How FDR tried, and failed, to change a national holiday, published in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal, shares the story.

When FDR Tried - And Failed - To Move Thanksgiving

Listen · 3:48
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120846038/120846007" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Nontraditional Thanksgiving Stories Shared

Listeners were asked to share their nontraditional Thanksgiving traditions. A family that watches Star Wars, one that e-mails poetry to each other in the weeks before Thanksgiving, and listener Becca Hutchinson, who makes sure to drop a brussel sprout to the floor before returning it to the serving dish, share their stories.

Nontraditional Thanksgiving stories, Pt. 1

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120846032/120846006" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Opinion

Thanksgiving Traditions: From Bad Poetry To Pinatas

A few weeks ago, NPR asked listeners to share some nontraditional Thanksgiving traditions. Listeners shared some surprising rituals — from dropping brussels sprouts on the floor to making up bad poetry to an all-you-can-eat slider contest at White Castle.

Nontraditional Thanksgiving stories, Pt. 1

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120621406/120846006" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Cooking For One: A Privilege, Not A Chore

This fettuccine dish for one person is quick, easy and satisfying — and can easily be doubled for surprise guests. Nicole Spiridakis for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Nicole Spiridakis for NPR

Cooking For One: A Privilege, Not A Chore

In the run-up to a holiday synonymous with cooking huge feasts for crowds of hungry loved ones, it's easy to lose sight of the joy of making dinner solo. Food writer Nicole Spiridakis says it's one of life's simple pleasures — a chance to ask, "What would I really like tonight?"

Point, Click, Feed: Web Boosts Food Banks' Efficiency

Food banks are looking for innovative ways to make sure they have enough of the right kinds of food at the right times. Virtual food drives allow donors to choose items that the food bank needs. And because food banks buy in bulk, they can get more bang for the donated buck.

Point, Click, Feed: Web Boosts Food Banks' Efficiency

Listen · 3:53
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120760895/120760740" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Pass The Dessert: America's Thanksgiving Recipes

Rolled up cornucopia sponge-cake dessert Emily Ochsenschlager/NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Emily Ochsenschlager/NPR

A Thanksgiving How-To

Pass The Dessert: America's Thanksgiving Recipes

For many of us, Thanksgiving is linked to memories of turkey, stuffing and cranberry dressing. But a culinary history of the "other" American holiday shows that a rich variety of desserts have been in and out of fashion over the decades. Chris Kimball of America's Test Kitchen features Thanksgiving favorites from days gone by.

Pass The Dessert: America's Thanksgiving Recipes

Listen · 7:47
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120458751/120738541" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

N.Y. Tavern To Offer 100-Proof Thanksgiving Turkey

The owner of O'Casey's Tavern in Midtown Manhattan will unveil on Thanksgiving what he says is the nation's first 100-proof turkey. The bird will be infused with fruit-flavored and 100-proof vodka for three days before roasting. The meat will have hints of peach, raspberry, cherry and apple. The gravy also will be laced with liquor.

N.Y. Tavern To Offer 100-Proof Thanksgiving Turkey

Listen · 0:29
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/120676360/120676387" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript