Thanksgiving Abroad: Creating Meaningful Traditions Wherever You Are

For many families, Thanksgiving is a time of familiar routines—favorite foods, familiar faces, and long-held traditions. When you’re living abroad, however, the holiday can feel different. You may not find turkey. Your kids might still have school on the holiday. And family members are often thousands of miles away.

But celebrating Thanksgiving abroad also presents a unique opportunity: the chance to reflect intentionally, build resilience, and create new, meaningful traditions grounded in gratitude. Drawing on principles from child psychology, cross-cultural research, and family systems theory, here are some ways to make Thanksgiving abroad both memorable and emotionally nourishing.

1. Maintain Emotional Anchors Through Rituals

Research in developmental psychology shows that predictable rituals support children’s emotional security, especially during transitions such as moving to a new country. Rituals don’t have to be elaborate—they simply need to be consistent and meaningful.

Try:

• A family gratitude circle at dinner.

• Reading a Thanksgiving story or sharing memories from past holidays.

• Preparing one familiar dish from home, even if you can’t replicate the whole menu.

These rituals help children feel connected to their cultural identity while also embracing their new environment.

2. Reframe the Holiday Around Values, Not Ingredients

Children thrive when adults model flexible thinking and a positive mindset. If a turkey is hard to find—or not available at all—recasting Thanksgiving as a celebration of values rather than food reduces stress and teaches resilience.

Possible “Thanksgiving Abroad” Menus:

• Roast chicken, duck, or local specialty birds

• Vegetarian or vegan mains (stuffed squash, lentil loaf, or hearty stews)

• Local flavors blended with classic American sides

The goal: honor the feeling of the day, not replicate the exact plate.

3. Embrace Cultural Exchange

Cross-cultural psychology emphasizes that children who participate in cultural blending develop better empathy, adaptability, and global awareness.

Invite the local culture into your Thanksgiving experience:

• Incorporate regional produce or spices.

• Share the meaning of Thanksgiving with neighbors or new friends.

• Ask locals how they celebrate gratitude or harvest holidays and adopt one of their traditions.

This not only enriches the experience, but also helps children form a stronger sense of belonging.

4. Make Space for Homesickness—It’s Normal

Feelings of nostalgia or sadness are common for both children and adults living abroad. Acknowledging these emotions helps children learn healthy emotional regulation.

Steps that help:

• Name the feeling: “I’m missing grandma today, are you feeling that way too?”

• Validate it: “It makes sense to feel this way on a holiday.”

• Introduce a coping ritual: a family call, lighting a candle, or sharing favorite memories.

Research shows that emotional labeling and validation reduce stress and build coping skills in children.

5. Use Technology to Bridge the Distance

While nothing replaces being together in person, virtual connection still supports family cohesion.

Try a:

• Virtual shared meal

• “Gratitude show-and-tell” session with extended family

• Collaborative game or story time over video chat

If time zones are tricky, exchange videos instead. Children love watching greetings from relatives, and recordings feel more personal than text messages.

6. Create a New Tradition Unique to Your Time Abroad

Family traditions don’t have to be inherited—they can be invented. In fact, new traditions can become some of your most meaningful memories.

You might start:

• A Thanksgiving nature walk exploring your local surroundings

• A craft that reflects your host culture

• A “thankful advent calendar” for the week leading up to Thanksgiving

• A donation or service activity connected to your new community

Research in family therapy shows that creating shared meaning strengthens family bonds, especially during transitions.

7. Practice Gratitude in Developmentally Appropriate Ways

Gratitude is linked to emotional well-being, improved mood, and stronger relationships. With children, gratitude activities should be simple, concrete, and fun.

Ideas:

• Draw pictures of things they are thankful for

• Build a gratitude tree on the wall with paper leaves

• Create a gratitude scavenger hunt around the home

• Write thank-you notes to teachers, friends, neighbors, or family back home

Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving abroad may not look exactly like the holiday you grew up with—and that’s okay. With a little creativity, openness, and psychological insight, it can become a powerful opportunity to strengthen family resilience, celebrate gratitude in new ways, and create traditions your children will cherish.

Even without turkey, you can cultivate the heart of Thanksgiving: connection, gratitude, and togetherness.

If you’d like personalized support for navigating cultural transitions, emotional challenges, or family stress while living abroad, Baumgarten Child Psychology and More is here to help.