Setting the Table: Showcasing Special Family Dishes

Bringing out Great-Grandma's serving platter or using the special candle holders a favorite relative gave you years ago sends a clear signal that festive and delicious things are about to happen! And more than that, these special not-everyday items bring good memories of that person to your holiday table. Don't you agree?

This lovely set of dishes belonged to my grandmother. My mother found them in the back of a cabinet when she was going through my grandmother's belongings and sent them to me with a note: "Thought you might like to have these." And she was right.

This has been a big year for me - I got married, moved to a new city, took a big career leap - and I've found myself missing my grandma a lot. This year at Thanksgiving, I'd like to bring out these special dishes that belonged to her and serve something wonderful in them. It's a way for me to remember her and have her with me in this new exciting phase of my life.

I think she would really like that.

Do you have a dish or centerpiece or something similar that holds special meaning for you? Please share your story!

(Image: Emma Christensen)

Comments (3)

I have a set of Correlle dishes that my grandmother owned.. and I've been slowly adding to them through ebay and other online sources (its a discontinued pattern). 2 years ago when I hosted my first "I cooked it myself" thanksgiving for my family in my apartment, I presented everything in dishes themed like her Correlle set.

posted by jamina1 on November 12th 2009 at 4:24pm
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in the 1960's my grandma bought, piece by piece, nearly the entire collection of Jewel Tea Autumn Leaf dishes (i can't get the story right of whether there was an actual salesman that would come door to door or if she bought them from the grocery store). these dishes are a PERFECT thanksgiving set. so fall, so vintagy, so fabulous.

posted by gailrebekah on November 13th 2009 at 9:33am
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My mother uses her grandmother's Noritake china for special occasions. They were made in Japan before World War II and my grandfather got them when he served there in the Korean War. They're quite lovely and they mean a lot to my mom because she really loved her grandmother.

posted by Emily G. on November 13th 2009 at 12:01pm
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