Every family has different traditions.... Just like the average ______________(insert race)family, the average African-American family usually congregates at a grandmother or great-grandmother's house for dinner. Thanksgiving was important in my family because that was one of the only times in the year, where relatives got to see each other because everyone lived out of town. I know my cousins and I would almost stay up all night every night until they left because it might be another whole year before we see each other again.
The females would cook and would start as early as midnight.... Sleep for a couple hours and get up and finish in time before the games come on. The men would talk, watch sports or play dominoes waiting for the food to get done.. When dinner was done, the elders and children got their plates first then the wives fix the husbands plates(free culture for you). All the men with 1 large square paper plate with about 2lbs of food stacked high as humanly possibly and not one bit of food fall off. An assortment of cakes and pies... Eat and watch sports... everyone is crashed out by 5-6:00pm