{"id":192871,"date":"2024-11-21T10:56:29","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T15:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&#038;p=192871"},"modified":"2026-03-04T13:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T18:14:13","slug":"the-vast-majority-of-americans-celebrate-thanksgiving-but-their-traditions-and-activities-vary-widely","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/11\/21\/the-vast-majority-of-americans-celebrate-thanksgiving-but-their-traditions-and-activities-vary-widely\/","title":{"rendered":"The vast majority of Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, but their traditions and activities vary widely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><img data-dominant-color=\"8b7d71\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #8b7d71;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"(From left: Frederic J. Brown\/AFP; Gilbert Carrasquillo\/GC Images; MediaNews Group\/Long Beach Press-Telegram, all via Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-192879 not-transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=564,317 564w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=1128,634 1128w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=690,388 690w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=268,151 268w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=536,302 536w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=194,110 194w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=148,84 148w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=296,168 296w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=720,405 720w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=200,113 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=260,146 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=310,174 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=420,236 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=640,360 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=740,416 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=160,90 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?resize=540,304 540w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(From left: Frederic J. Brown\/AFP; Gilbert Carrasquillo\/GC Images; MediaNews Group\/Long Beach Press-Telegram, all via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just a few weeks after a divisive presidential election, millions of Americans will break bread together for Thanksgiving. A new Pew Research Center survey shows how Americans plan to spend the holiday this year \u2013 and which Turkey Day traditions and activities are more common than others.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Pew Research Center analysis examines how Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. It is based on a survey conducted Nov. 12-17, 2024, among 9,609 U.S. adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Center\u2019s American Trends Panel (ATP), a group of people recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses who have agreed to take surveys regularly. This kind of recruitment gives nearly all U.S. adults a chance of selection. Surveys were conducted either online or by telephone with a live interviewer. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other factors. Read more about the ATP\u2019s methodology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_questionnaire.pdf\">questions used for this analysis<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_topline.pdf\">topline<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_methodology.pdf\">survey methodology<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are the main takeaways from the survey, conducted Nov. 12-17, 2024, among 9,609 U.S. adults:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Around nine-in-ten Americans (91%) celebrate Thanksgiving.<\/strong> Large majorities in all major demographic groups observe the holiday, though some people are more likely than others to do so. For example, 96% of Americans ages 65 and older celebrate Thanksgiving, compared with somewhat smaller shares of younger adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Immigration status also plays a role. While 93% of adults born in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, the same is true of 88% of immigrants who have been in the country for more than 20 years, 76% of immigrants who have been in the country 11 to 20 years, and 74% of immigrants who have been in the country for a decade or less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Most Americans (74%) plan to have Thanksgiving dinner with other people this year.<\/strong> Another 5% plan to have Thanksgiving dinner alone, 2% don\u2019t plan to have Thanksgiving dinner \u2013 whether it\u2019s because they are working or traveling or for some other reason \u2013 and 10% didn\u2019t know their plans yet at the time of the survey. The rest don\u2019t celebrate Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>For some Americans, Thanksgiving dinner includes <em>lots<\/em> of other people.<\/strong> Around a quarter (26%) expect to have Thanksgiving dinner with more than 10 other people this year, including 7% who expect to have it with more than 20 others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smaller get-togethers are more common: 26% of Americans plan to have dinner with six to 10 other people, 15% with three to five other people, and 4% with one to two other people. The remaining Americans plan to have Thanksgiving dinner alone, don\u2019t plan to have Thanksgiving dinner, didn\u2019t know their plans yet or don\u2019t celebrate Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=192873\"><img data-dominant-color=\"efefeb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"924\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?w=620\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that 7% of Americans expect to have more than 20 other people at their\nThanksgiving dinner.\" class=\"wp-image-192873 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #efefeb; width:310px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png 620w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=201,300 201w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=272,405 272w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=200,298 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=260,387 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=310,462 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=420,626 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=160,238 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_2.png?resize=320,477 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Around a third of Americans (34%) plan to have Thanksgiving dinner at their own home this year,<\/strong> whether hosting others or dining alone. Another 39% plan to go to someone else\u2019s home, while 3% plan to go to a restaurant, hotel or other public place. The rest plan not to have Thanksgiving dinner, didn\u2019t know their plans yet or don\u2019t celebrate the holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Older adults are more likely than younger people to have Thanksgiving dinner at their own home: 40% of Americans ages 50 and older plan to do so this year, compared with 29% of adults under 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Afternoon is the most popular time for Thanksgiving dinner, but there\u2019s no consensus on early versus late afternoon. <\/strong>Some 36% of Americans prefer to have Thanksgiving dinner in the early afternoon (that is, between noon and 3 p.m.), while 38% prefer to have it in the late afternoon (between 3 and 6 p.m.). Only 11% of Americans prefer to have Thanksgiving dinner in the evening (after 6), and just 1% prefer to have it in the morning (before noon). Another 5% have no preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dinnertime preferences follow a regional pattern. Americans who live in the Midwest and South are more likely to prefer Thanksgiving dinner in the early afternoon than the late afternoon. But people in the Northeast and West are more likely to prefer the late afternoon than the early afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are also differences by age. Americans 65 and older are more likely to prefer Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the afternoon than later. Meanwhile, adults under 30 are more likely to prefer late afternoon over early afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-640-wide is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=192875\"><img data-dominant-color=\"eeeeec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"860\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?w=620\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that most Americans prefer to have Thanksgiving dinner in the afternoon.\" class=\"wp-image-192875 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #eeeeec; width:310px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png 620w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=216,300 216w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=292,405 292w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=200,277 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=260,361 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=310,430 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=420,583 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=160,222 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_5.png?resize=320,444 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It\u2019s common for Americans to say grace or express gratitude at Thanksgiving dinner.<\/strong> Around two-thirds of U.S. adults say someone at their dinner typically says a prayer or blessing (65%) or says things they are thankful for (69%). And a majority of Americans (56%) say someone at their Thanksgiving dinner typically does <em>both<\/em> of these things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=192877\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ede8e2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"620\" height=\"584\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?w=620\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that prayers and expressions of gratitude are common at the Thanksgiving table.\" class=\"wp-image-192877 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ede8e2; width:310px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png 620w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=300,283 300w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=430,405 430w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=200,188 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=260,245 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=310,292 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=420,396 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=160,151 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_1.png?resize=320,301 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saying grace at Thanksgiving is especially common among certain religious groups. For example, 91% of White evangelical Protestants say someone at their Thanksgiving dinner typically says a prayer or blessing. The same is true for 88% of Black Protestants, 74% of Catholics and 72% of White nonevangelical Protestants. Prayer is much less common among those who say their religion is \u201cnothing in particular\u201d (45%), agnostics (39%), atheists (22%) and Jewish adults (22%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Majorities across religious groups also say someone at their Thanksgiving dinner typically expresses gratitude. Many religiously unaffiliated Americans say this, too: 59% of those whose religion is \u201cnothing in particular,\u201d along with 61% of agnostics and 48% of atheists, say someone at their dinner typically says things they are thankful for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Driving and Thanksgiving go hand in hand. <\/strong>The vast majority of Americans who plan to have Thanksgiving dinner away from home this year (89%) say driving is the main way they\u2019ll get there. This works out to 38% of U.S. adults overall who expect to drive to their destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only 2% of Americans overall expect to fly, while even fewer expect to take some other form of transportation, such as local or regional transit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Related<\/em><\/strong><em>:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/11\/12\/many-americans-perceive-a-rise-in-dangerous-driving-78-see-cellphone-distraction-as-major-problem\/\">Many Americans perceive a rise in dangerous driving; 78% see cellphone distraction as major problem<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Most Thanksgiving travel takes less than an hour.<\/strong> A majority of those who plan to have Thanksgiving dinner away from home this year (69%) expect their trip to take less than an hour. That may have to do with the proximity of their family members: In a <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/05\/18\/more-than-half-of-americans-live-within-an-hour-of-extended-family\/\">2022 Pew Research Center survey<\/a>, 55% of Americans said they live within an hour\u2019s drive of at least some of their extended family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Looking at adults overall, 29% expect their Thanksgiving travel to take less than an hour. Another 13% expect it to take longer than that, including 6% who expect it to take three hours or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>Related: <\/em><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2023\/11\/20\/for-thanksgiving-6-facts-about-americans-and-family\/\"><em>For Thanksgiving, 6 facts about Americans and family<\/em><\/a><strong><em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Apart from eating, Americans expect to do a wide range of things this Thanksgiving.<\/strong> Certain long-running Thanksgiving traditions, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/us\/thanksgiving-football-history-tradition-cec\/index.html\">watching football<\/a> or a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/travel\/article\/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-feat\/index.html\">parade<\/a>, are still fairly popular: 35% of Americans say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll watch sports on Thanksgiving, and 19% say the same about watching a parade. Men are more likely than women to say they\u2019ll watch sports, while women are more likely than men to say they\u2019ll watch a parade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=192876\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f7f2ec\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" height=\"945\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?w=640\" alt=\"A bar chart showing what Americans expect to do on Thanksgiving this year.\" class=\"wp-image-192876 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f7f2ec; width:420px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=203,300 203w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=768,1134 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=694,1024 694w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=274,405 274w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=200,295 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=260,384 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=310,458 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=420,620 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=640,945 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=740,1092 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=160,236 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_4.png?resize=320,472 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to conversation, 35% of Americans say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll talk about work or school on Thanksgiving. And in the wake of a presidential election that saw <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cookpolitical.com\/vote-tracker\/2024\/electoral-college\">more than 154 million Americans cast ballots<\/a>, 26% expect the election to come up. A similar share (24%) expect to talk about pop culture like music or movies, though far fewer (4%) expect to <em>go to<\/em> a movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanksgiving is a time for charity for many Americans, and 19% say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll donate food or goods, while 4% expect to volunteer somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanksgiving is also the unofficial start of the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2023\/11\/22\/online-shopping-has-grown-rapidly-in-u-s-but-most-sales-are-still-in-stores\/\">holiday shopping season<\/a>. Accordingly, 15% of Americans say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll shop for the holidays on Thanksgiving Day this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Getting some exercise on Thanksgiving is a less popular idea: Only 4% of adults say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll play sports, while 3% expect to participate in a community walk or run, like a turkey trot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Following Donald Trump\u2019s reelection on Nov. 5, Trump voters are more likely than Kamala Harris voters to say they\u2019ll talk about the presidential election this Thanksgiving. <\/strong>Some 36% of Americans who voted for Trump say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll talk about the election on Thanksgiving. A smaller share of Americans who voted for Harris (24%) say the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-640-wide is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=192874\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f2eee1\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 420px) 100vw, 420px\" height=\"713\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?w=640\" alt=\"A bar chart showing that more Trump than Harris voters expect to talk about the election on Thanksgiving.\" class=\"wp-image-192874 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f2eee1; width:420px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png 840w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=269,300 269w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=768,856 768w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=363,405 363w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=200,223 200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=260,290 260w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=310,345 310w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=420,468 420w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=640,713 640w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=740,825 740w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=160,178 160w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_3.png?resize=320,357 320w\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump voters who identify as conservative are the most likely to talk about the election: 39% say it\u2019s extremely or very likely that they\u2019ll do so on Thanksgiving, compared with 28% of Trump voters who identify as moderate or liberal. Among Harris voters, 28% of self-described liberals expect to talk about the election at Thanksgiving, compared with 20% of those who identify as conservative or moderate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, conservative Trump voters are about as likely to talk about the election this Thanksgiving as they are to talk about work or school (36%) \u2013 and much more likely to talk about it than to talk about pop culture (17%). By comparison, liberal Harris voters are more likely to talk about work or school (42%) and pop culture (38%) than the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Note: Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_questionnaire.pdf\">questions used for this analysis<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_topline.pdf\">topline<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_methodology.pdf\">survey methodology<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Turkey Day traditions, activities and even preferred dinnertimes vary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":658,"featured_media":192879,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-11-21T15:56:44Z","apple_news_api_id":"896e520a-b6d9-4a1f-bc95-a3d104a4a154","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-03-04T18:14:19Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAg==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AiW5SCrbZSh-8laPRBKShVA","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,231,453,37,2428],"bylines":[600,879,954],"collection":[],"datasets":[2884],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[],"class_list":["post-192871","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-relationships","category-friendships","category-leisure","category-other-topics","category-transportation","bylines-michael-rotolo","bylines-john-gramlich","bylines-laura-silver","datasets-american-trends-panel-wave-159","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states"],"label":"Short Read","post_parent":0,"word_count":1535,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/11\/21\/the-vast-majority-of-americans-celebrate-thanksgiving-but-their-traditions-and-activities-vary-widely\/","art_direction":{"A2":{"id":192879,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/11\/SR_24.11.20_thanksgiving_feature.jpg?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"caption":"(From left: Frederic J. 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