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More than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the United States on Thanksgiving, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But how many Americans can say they get a turkey hat?

At least two people at a past celebration with Marie Burgess can.

For Burgess, who lives in Falmouth, a new, unique Thanksgiving tradition was born when her family became new as well.

“When my mom remarried, we became a blended family — all these kids and their kids coming together for a first Thanksgiving. We needed a way to bring everyone together with something fun.”

For them, a Yankee Swap seemed to be the perfect answer.

The rules: Purchase a single gift, which must be related to Thanksgiving, and bring it, wrapped, to dinner. Family members then draw numbers and choose gifts in order, with later numbers being able to trade for gifts already taken by people who have lower numbers.

“Everyone loved it, and some of the gifts were so ridiculous. One year, we even had two turkey hats,” Burgess says with a laugh. “It really has been a wonderful way for us to all sit down together, talk and laugh. … It was such fun and it is the perfect way to pass the time between dinner and dessert. You need to give all that turkey a chance to digest, after all!”

Turkey is, of course, the traditional Thanksgiving dish, and watching football is the main pastime at many celebrations. But the clan at the Burgess dinner and other families aren’t content to stick to that same routine, finding other, unusual traditions for the holiday celebration.

For one thing, not everyone likes football.

Sue Simon of South Yarmouth says her family was “never into football and oftentimes, we would eat dinner and then end up just staring at one another after we ate. Let me tell you, that gets boring.”

Her family wanted an activity that would combine the generations, though, and in the late 1990s, the idea of playing Trivial Pursuit as a group came up. Soon there were two teams, with the Old Fogies vs. Youngsters.

“For a while we, the Old Fogies, were doing good. But then the new Trivial Pursuit came out and the young team was killing us!” she remembers. Realizing that the age gap could prove to be a problem (the Youngsters had no idea who this Grace Kelly chick was and the Old Fogies had never heard of Lady Gaga), Simon started using both Trivial Pursuit sets matched to the correct age group. “It levels the playing field,” she says.

And the reward for a solid recollection of popular culture? “Bragging rights. Annoying, loud, repetitive bragging rights for the whole year!” Simon says. “The game is looked forward to every Thanksgiving. We play between the dinner and dessert and it is so much fun.”

In Dennis, Katie Clancy’s family manages to include the youngsters in Thanksgiving by excluding them … sort of.

“Nothing is worse then trying to cook and mingle with your family while a small person nags you,” says Clancy with a laugh. So she decided to keep the kids busy with a different food tradition of their own.

The choice: gingerbread cookies.

Clancy had hoped to create ones that would “make Martha Stewart proud. I had grand plans of these perfectly iced and decorated cookies that the children would make while seated quietly before dinner.

“Then reality set in.”

Now her family has a table set (away from the dinner preparations) with pre-made gingerbread cookies, icing and decorations.

“They just go at it! It starts out civilized but ends up a free-for-all and they love it!”

The greatest benefit for Clancy is that the project keeps the kids happy and amused while their parents get to chat and prepare the feast.

“The kids look forward to it every year. Even my 16-year-old still loves to do it. She

was insulted when I thought she was going to pass on it last year!”

Clancy stresses, though, that observation of the cookie-construction is not for the faint of heart. “Don’t stand there and watch the carnage — it will just make you panic about the mess. Trust me.”

There’s no mess, though, if there’s no feast to prepare.

For the Denver family of Buzzards Bay, Thanksgiving includes turkey and a stress-reducing break from reality. Because all of their extended family members visit in-laws for the holiday, the Denvers have been traveling on that weekend since 2003. “It is perfect — four solid days off to enjoy our two children and a mini-vacation! … (The first year), we went to Disney World and had a wonderful time. The prices were good due to the specials they run and we saw so many families. We even dined on turkey sandwiches!” Denver says.

The family also has traveled several times to New Hampshire and Santa’s Village. “One of my friends called me to say she

was working like mad on pies and side dishes and I was

happily watching my kids swim in the pool, far from any kitchen.”

While in New Hampshire, the Denvers met another family that was traveling as an extended group.

“It was all these brothers and sisters and their families and they were having a great time. The women were even planning to all go outlet shopping the day after Thanksgiving.”

For this Thanksgiving, the Denvers will be jetting off to Florida again to see a certain well-known mouse. As for their turkey dinner? “We will just ask the hotel what restaurant serves a great bird,” Denver says.

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