Brokers share family traditions that they celebrate during Thanksgiving in the Hamptons

Alan Schnurman of Saunders & Associates
“The holiday period is a very special time for our family. Starting with the Thanksgiving Day weekend. My happiest times are sitting around the dinner table with our children and grandchildren all talking at once. My wife Judy and I count our blessings as we look around the room, knowing how precious these moments are. The Hamptons has become our family destination where we meet to play but most important, just to be with each other.”

Susan Breitenbach of The Corcoran Group
“Really simply, best holiday of the year because no venue, except being thankful and spending quality time with family. Just eating and drinking, and at our house a lot of cooking, big turkey, and everything homemade. Of course football on the TV! One of my favorite days, and I actually try to take it off!”

Laura White of Saunders & Associates
“Fall in the Hamptons is the most glorious time of the year! The ocean warms us with its residual summer heat, and the farms, orchards and vineyards are abundant with the harvest. Thanksgiving is the crown jewel of this amazing season, and sharing it with friends and family warms my heart.
It has been our family tradition to start the holiday with as many participants as possible, on our annual Turkey Day Hike through the trails of Barcelona Neck! There are over 7 miles of marked trails that lead you through oak/hickory forest on the edge of Northwest Harbor, to massive sand dunes overlooking Sag Harbor and Shelter Island, where the young ones roll down to the bay to their hearts content!
After our foliage festival we settle into a tailgate champagne toast to set the tone for our upcoming feast! No dinner guilt allowed, after this energizing start to a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!”

Martha P. Gundersen of Brown Harris Stevens
“This year for Thanksgiving my entire family is coming to Amagansett including my 89 year old mother, sisters from California, NH, and Massachusetts. We are celebrating not only all we are thankful for but a number of family birthdays. We are going to have a blast. Kids will be home from college and lots of nieces and nephews too!”

Gene Gilyutin of Hampton Estates Realty
“When I was 8 years old, another Russian family moved to town. We were the only two Russian families in town and started a Thanksgiving dinner tradition at their house. Today, over 30 years later, we still have Thanksgiving together, only now we’ve grown from the original 8 people to anywhere from 50-60 people every year. And although a lot of us are now parents, we still somehow end up sitting at the kid’s table.”

Mary Giaquinto of Plum Builders, Inc.
“Thanksgiving for us is all about the menu of the meal we serve and who in the family is arriving from far and wide to be together around the table. For the food, the family and friends; we are grateful! Thanksgiving is extraordinary because of the gift of free time with family and friends.
Because we place high value on food, there’s got to be great bread and lots of seasonal vegetable choices, good wine, as well as pies and whipped cream; all of it prepared fresh!  We do have turkey…but it is the least popular item!”

Mala Sander of The Corcoran Group
“Our Thanksgiving is centered around family and friends, who are also our chosen family. Each year, we get a heritage turkey from Ludlow Farms in Water Mill, and everyone brings something to the table, most of all love and thanks for wonderful years and times together. It’s a time of celebration and togetherness. Our favorite holiday!”