40 Memorial Ideas to Honor Loved Ones at Thanksgiving
Thoughtful ways to keep their memory close during the holidays.
The year my Grandma Gloria passed away, Thanksgiving was the first “real” sit-down family holiday without her — and it was rough. I remember sitting at the table with a lump in my throat the entire evening, trying so hard not to think about her because I knew the moment I did, the tears would come pouring out.
But the hardest part wasn’t the grief — it was the silence.
Her absence felt like the biggest elephant in the room, and yet nobody acknowledged it. We all felt it, but no one wanted to be the first to say her name out loud. In retrospect, I wish we had talked about her. I wish we had cried together, laughed together, shared stories, or even started a new tradition in her memory.
Because when you don’t talk about it, when you avoid saying their name…
It almost feels like they slip away a little more.
Don’t let this be you and your family.
Grief is hard, but it’s gentler when you face it together — when you honor the person you love and lean into the beauty of their life.
Thanksgiving is a season rooted in gratitude, and there is so much tenderness and healing in finding ways to weave the memory of your loved one into your holiday traditions. Below are 40 meaningful ways to honor someone you miss dearly this Thanksgiving.
40 Thanksgiving Memorial Ideas to Honor Loved Ones
At the Thanksgiving Table
Save a seat with a small photo or framed name card.
Place a memorial candle at the center of the table.
Use personalized place cards featuring their favorite quote or saying.
Set out Seeds of Gratitude Thanksgiving seed packets at each place setting — include their photo to make it extra meaningful.
Include their favorite recipe on the menu, or display their handwritten recipe cards as part of the table décor.
Thoughtful Touches Throughout the Home
Create a “memory jar” where family members write their favorite memories and read them aloud during dinner.
Set up a small memorial nook with flowers, a candle, and a framed photo.
Incorporate their favorite flowers into your home décor (sunflowers, daisies, marigolds, etc.).
Play a playlist of their favorite songs during meal prep or dessert.
Hang a seasonal wreath inspired by their personality and the things they loved.
Outdoor or Nature-Based Memorials
Plant fall wildflowers or bulbs (daffodils, tulips, mums) in their honor.
Leave a decorated pumpkin or arrangement at their resting place.
Host a family “memory walk” to share stories.
Set up a small memorial garden marker in your yard.
Participate in a short charity 3k or 5k together in their honor.
Family Traditions & Sharing Memories
Go around the table sharing a favorite memory or “one thing they taught me.”
Watch home videos or look through old photo albums together.
Create a short family slideshow to watch with dessert.
Start Thanksgiving dinner with a toast or a moment of silence.
Share their “signature story” — the funny or meaningful moment everyone remembers.
Creative DIY Memorial Ideas
Decorate memory stones with words or memories written on river rocks.
Let kids create gratitude acorns or leaves inspired by things the loved one enjoyed.
Compile a family recipe book featuring their favorite dishes.
Hang memory ornaments or tags on a small “memory tree.”
Give personalized seed packets, tea packets, or tissues as heartfelt take-home favors.
Community & Acts of Kindness
Donate to a cause or charity that mattered to them.
Cook a meal for a neighbor or local family in their honor.
Assemble small “care kits” for shelters or community organizations.
Deliver baked goods made from their recipes to friends or local heroes.
Volunteer together as a family to honor their giving spirit.
Digital or Long-Distance Memorial Ideas
Start a group chat or email thread where family members share memories.
Create a collaborative digital photo album.
Make a short tribute video for long-distance relatives to watch.
Host a virtual moment of remembrance after dinner.
Send a seed packet to loved ones near and far to grow their memory across the country.
Giftable Favors for Guests
Offer Seeds of Gratitude memorial seed packets in their honor.
Share memorial tea packet gift sets with comforting blends.
Give small candles with personalized remembrance tags.
Provide mini notebooks for guests to write memories or things they’re thankful for.
Share a printed poem or prayer that reflects their life and legacy.
A Season for Love, Memory, and Gratitude
Thanksgiving is a time when the empty chair feels especially noticeable — but it’s also a time when gratitude and remembrance can soften the grief. Whether you choose one gesture or fifty, every act of remembrance keeps your loved one close and honors the life they lived.
If you’d like a gentle way to share their memory with family and friends this season, you can explore our personalized Seeds of Gratitude Thanksgiving seed packets — a sweet, simple keepsake that grows into something beautiful in their honor.
