Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and even though I won't be joining my family back in Oregon, I can picture every detail of their dinner, right down to the plates: cheerful sprigs of holly on crisp white china. They're the same special occasion china I've used to eat every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner my entire life. In fact, they're the same plates my mom has eaten all of her special meals on, too; my grandma got them as a wedding gift in 1942.

Someday they'll be mine, and using them will connect me to the past generations of women (and great Thanksgiving cooks) in my family. They don't have to be expensive, but just like heirloom ornaments or seasonal decorations, unpacking the festive plates can become a great tradition. And it's those rituals, not the food itself, that make the holidays so special.

Shown Above:
1. Anthropologie
2. Tattered Lace Dinnerware Anthropologie $10-$18
3. Haruka Dinner Plate Crate&Barrel $16.95
4. David Stark Wood-Slices Dinnerware West Elm $36-$50
5. Sliced Persimmon Dinnerware Anthropologie $12-$78

6. Kiri Dinnerware Crate&Barrel $59.95
7. Juliska Pewter Stoneware Dinner Plate Saks Fifth Avenue $39
8. White Butterflies Scallop Plate Etsy, Cats Paw Pottery $24

Images: As credited above.