Thanksgiving is more than a celebration of friends and family.

It’s an opportunity to welcome friends, family and sometimes strangers to share food, time and thankfulness.

While the first English pilgrims offered thanks for surviving their first year in the New World, modern Thanksgiving Day gratitude often isn’t too different.

“First and foremost I’m thankful for my family,” Mayor Rob Adams said. “I’m thankful that I have the privilege to serve the community of Sedona.

“Our tradition is to get together with family. I try to balance that with community service,” Adams said. That includes bringing in people to join his family who don’t have a place to go and making sure they have an enjoyable day.

“This year, we’re going to visit my wife’s sister in Oregon. It’s the first time being up with her family,” Adams said.

When it comes to a meal, Adams said he’s a simple guy.

“I like turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy,” Adams said.

“First and foremost, I’m thankful for my wife and children, and that they’re all healthy and employed,” Sedona City Manager Tim Ernster said. “Even given the state of the economy, they’re doing fine.”

Ernster said his tradition involves making food no one else eats.

“Every Thanksgiving for years I’ve made cranberries. But nobody eats my cranberries, so we wind up throwing them away,” Ernster said.

He keeps the tradition alive because his father used to make cranberries and Ernster still enjoys making them, even adding in things like kiwifruit for a different taste or texture.

“I guess there’s just some people who don’t like cranberries,” he said.

Part of the ritual, Ernster said, is his family makeing fun of his cranberries.

Ernster also makes a Chex Mix with his youngest son, who will be coming up to Sedona from Phoenix on Friday, Nov. 19. They give out the mix to other family members.

“It’s one of the fun things we do together,” he said.

The one dish that Ernster said he particularly likes is a green bean and cream of mushroom soup casserole with onions on top that his wife, Helen, makes for Thanksgiving.

“I am thankful for my supporting family and a very welcoming community,” Sedona Police Department Police Chief Raymond Cota said.

He said his only big Thanksgiving tradition is trying to get as many family members together as possible.
“My wife makes an apple pie that I look forward to every year,” Cota said.

“I’m thankful for my wife, good health, my career and thankful to be here in the Sedona Fire District, leading the fire district and just being a part of this community,” SFD Fire Chief Nazih Hazime said.

“Our tradition? Just being with family and spending time together. It’s a time to reunite,” he said.

Hazime said he doesn’t have any special dishes for the holiday except for turkey sandwiches.
“Really, the turkey is at the top of my list,” Hazime said.

“I’m thankful for my 22 years of sobriety. I’m thankful for my boys, Kyle and Brian, their spouses, Stacy and Rochelle, and especially my grandchildren, William, Adam and Lucas,” said Robert B. Larson, publisher of the Sedona Red Rock News.

“And I’m exceptionally grateful for Vicki, my wife of 37 years,” Larson said.

Larson said he and his family go to Tucson every Thanksgiving to share the holiday with Vicki’s father, who turned 95 this year, and her extended family. In all, about 20 family members get together.

“We’ve been going down there for 25 years,” Larson said.

He said his favorite dishes are Vicki’s homemade stuffing and a pumpkin pie Rochelle makes just like Vicki’s mom did before she passed away.

“I’m most thankful for my beautiful family and friends: my husband, Rick, my mom and dad who spend three months in Sedona each year, my brother, my niece and nephew and my wonderful friends,” said Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. “I would not be who I am today without their support, encouragement and love. Also, I recently had knee surgery, and it reminded me how thankful I am to be healthy and active — or used to be.

“Growing up, we always sat at one table and each one of us shared what we are most thankful for. Of course, dinner was always scheduled around football,” she said. “As an adult, our Sedona Thanksgivings always include a morning hike.”

“OK, I know this is a little wonky, but growing up we always had Hawaiian salad with our traditional Thanksgiving dinner,” Wesselhoff said.

“Our version of Hawaiian salad is made with maraschino cherries, pineapple, marshmallows and whipped cream. It’s absolutely delicious. My mom also makes the best stuffing, but I might be biased.”