Thanksgiving for most families looks the same. The entire family gets together at someone’s house and has a massive meal. Occasionally, families will have smaller traditions like acting out plays or having a prayer before the meal. The Howards had their own tradition but considering it small would be an underestimate. By most definitions, their tradition was pretty radical as the family took part in what they referred to as a “Body Exchange”.
A Body Exchange according to the Howards is the process of exchanging one’s body for another’s. In the context of Thanksgiving, following the dinner, the Howards get together and draw names to determine who swaps with who. This tradition dates back several decades as it initially began when great-great-great grandpa Joe found a magical stone that was able to swap two individuals’ bodies. Wanting to spice up the holidays, Joe created the tradition of the Body Exchange which initially began with him and his wife, Mildred. Had you asked Joe what the meaning behind this tradition was, he’d simply explain that having someone else’s body for a certain amount of time makes you thankful for your own body.
Joe and Mildred had passed away a long time ago but their tradition still carries on to this day. The rules and size of the tradition had varied greatly, even year to year. Some years, only a small section of the family participated but would stay swapped for an entire year while other years a large portion of the family would participate but swap back by the start of the new year. This year was no different than previous years as the size of the family participating wasn’t decided nor was the duration determined.
