<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"    Sometimes, I have to remind myself that there&amp;#039;s more to Thanksgiving than brawling over the last slice of pumpkin pie. I&amp;#039;m thankful for dessert (with extra whipped cream, please), but especially for my family&amp;#039;s stories. That&amp;#039;s why I&amp;#039;m so excited about the National Day of Listening on Friday, November 29th. It&amp;#039;s a project of StoryCorps, a national nonprofit that records and preserves oral histories. Here&amp;#039;s the gist: sit down with a friend or family member, look them in the eye, and talk. Ask questions about his or her life; rehash memories you want to preserve or hear about from a new perspective. Everybody in your family probably has fascinating tales you&amp;#039;ve never heard; maybe they&amp;#039;ve been hoping to share. You can also record your conversation and upload it to the Wall of Listening, a digital archive of everyday and extraordinary tales. The Hesters have a lot of Thanksgiving traditions, some more friendly than others. We trim our delightfully tacky silver tannenbaum, drive to the local cider mill for donuts, and play many rounds of Apples to Apples with the whole gang. (But it&amp;#039;s not all fun and games: my brother, dad, and husband are fiends for leftovers, so if I want to chow down on another dollop of mashed potatoes, I have to be vigilant about staking my claim!) The long airport lines are a huge hassle, but ultimately, it&amp;#039;s worth it, because Thanksgiving is one of the times that the whole family is together. My dad regales us with tales of playing broomball on frozen tennis courts in suburban Illinois, or the time he saw Gene Simmons in our local movie theater. My mom loves to talk about how, as a toddler, I used to drag stacks of books into a corner and read quietly to myself until the rest of the family woke up. When I think about these stories, I can hear my parents narrating them. I&amp;#039;m thankful that my mom and dad are healthy and vibrant, and so grateful to be able to spend another holiday with them. I want to record them talking about their lives, so that some day I can play the tapes for my kids and grandkids, and brag about how lucky I am to have known my parents. I can&amp;#039;t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday (other than, you know, not having call dibs on pie).  For more info, visit nationaldayoflistening.org.   Tell us: What&amp;#039;s your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?  Plus: See more sweet and simple entertaining tips \u00BB25 delicious ways to prepare cranberries \u00BB70+ delicious Thanksgiving side dishes \u00BB101 holiday decorating ideas \u00BB30+ pro tips to host a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner \u00BB "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a4831/thanksgiving-family-traditions-oral-history/>