“So happy and extra grateful”: Thomas Rhett, Brett Young and Carly Pearce reflect on Thanksgiving traditions

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When it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving, each country star has their own traditions. For Thomas Rhett, Brett Young and Carly Pearce, those traditions vary from favorite foods to reflecting on meaningful milestones. 

Each year, Thomas happily takes on the task of prepping the turkey, turning the job into a countrified experience with a grill and beer in hand. 

“When it comes to Thanksgiving, I am the turkey guy. I love to smoke food. I love to stand by the grill with a cold beer for hours upon end watching a brisket smoke, doing ribs,” he explains. “Around Thanksgiving, I am the guy that does the turkeys, and it is a job that I love to do.”

While Thomas enjoys taking on the turkey, Brett is adamant about the one popular food dish he is not a fan of: cranberry sauce. The hit singer recalls a humorous memory growing up in California of how his grandmother, Bonnie, was particular about “massaging” the can of cranberry sauce.

“I’ll never forget one Thanksgiving, she perfectly got it out onto the plate, and then my dad was giving the blessing, and my uncle Scott started smooshing it up. My grandma interrupted the prayer because he was ruining the perfect can-shaped cranberry,” he shares. “I hate that. Fruit on meat never works for me. So cranberry sauce never makes it on my Thanksgiving plate, ever.” 

Though food is a mainstay for Thomas and Brett, this year, label mate Carly is counting her blessings when it comes to the success she’s achieved, from releasing the critically acclaimed album 29: Written in Stone to winning Female Vocalist for the first time at the CMA Awards.

“So many of my dreams have come true this past year in a way that I never thought could actually happen, especially in one calendar year,” she expresses. “I think I’m just going into this holiday season feeling so happy and extra grateful just for where I’m at in my life.”

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