Grateful Gatherings: Our Thanksgiving Poll Results
Last week we asked you to share about your Thanksgiving celebrations and experiences and over 200 of you responded! Our staff enjoyed reading about your traditions and dishes – from the familiar to the ‘new to us.’ There were lots of comments about the joys of spending time together, especially with relatives and friends that don’t live nearby, minor frustrations, and cherished traditions.
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The Basics
When asked how large your typical family (or friendly) gathering was, 12% of people expect 4 or fewer guests and 12% of people expect more than 20. The majority of people, around 76%, plan on 5-20 guests (with 5-10 guests being most common).
For most of our poll takers, Thanksgiving starts at lunchtime or mid-afternoon (79%).
The celebration seems to be a longer affair, with only 24% saying it lasted only a couple of hours. Most, 68%, said it lasts at least half the day, followed by all day and all evening, and rounded out by the ‘all day’ group. There were 9 people who think it lasts too long and 2 who wish it was longer. One person reported that it lasts until midnight and two people say it is a two-day affair (one of these celebrates “Black Sheep Thanksgiving” where they eat anti-traditional foods on the second day).
When it comes to travel, 44% of you are staying home, 30% are staying in the same metro area and 13% of people will be traveling more than 100 miles with one person who is excited to be going on a cruise with their family of four.
THE FOOD
When it comes to who does the prep work and cooking for the Thanksgiving meal, 47% reported that multiple people do the work, 23% do potluck or assigned dishes and 14% who say they are the one doing all the food preparation. Others fall into the categories of one person cooking (someone else), going out to eat, getting food prepared/catered, one person who says they’ve tried all the choices listed but are going to a restaurant this year, and another who answered, “Mom because well all want moms tried and true home cooked meal.”
When it comes to the recipes people use, a whopping 63% said they rely on family recipes that have been handed down. There were 17% who use their own recipes and 7 % who turn to social media, though many people reported using a combination of all of these methods (classic and new) and one person saying they use “Some family recipes… mixed with the Moosewood cookbook or Google search for side dishes and desserts.”
The most popular dish listed as “must have” on the Thanksgiving table was stuffing (a.k.a. dressing). Some people even included specific ingredients they use (cranberries, wild rice, oysters, sage, breadcrumbs, and cornbread) and some mentioned that their recipe came from their aunt, father, mammie, great grandmother, or mother. Turkey and mashed potatoes tied for second place and cranberries, in all their forms, was next on the list. Whether still in the shape of a can, fresh or made into relish, cranberries are a Thanksgiving meal staple for most people.
Some of the more unique dishes that appeared in people’s responses include their great grandmother’s pineapple salad, asado and jalapeno poppers with homemade tortillas, spaghetti with homemade meatballs, Amish breakfast bake, and chickpea loaf with vegetarian gravy.
One respondent summed it up by saying, “Everyone has their own “must-have,” which makes for a lot of food! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple pie, Cool Whip, ice cream.” Yet another noted that “people” were the thing they have to have at the table to make it Thanksgiving.
When asked about the oddest or most awful Thanksgiving meal side dish they’d encountered, the most mentioned dishes were green bean casserole and oyster stuffing, both of which also appeared frequently on the “must have” list. Two other oft mentioned items include things suspended in Jello and things with marshmallows on top (sometimes those were part of the same dish). Some people hated anything that had marshmallows in it while others specifically mentioned them in Jello, fruit salad, on sweet potatoes and on canned yams. Jello dishes listed mayonnaise, walnuts, onion, horseradish, carrots and even V-8 with chopped celery as unwanted ingredients.
One respondent wrote about “”HULK SALAD” … a nickname given by a friend, once, who had to experience the ‘Jelly Salad’ my mother always makes (even though we all hate it!) It is a mix of green jello, mayonnaise, and cottage cheese, blended smooth then set, so it jiggles like Jello and can only possibly be called a ‘salad’ because it is green. Oh, sometimes, what they did in the 50s should have stayed in the 50s!”
Other things people wrote about included: gluten-free dressing or dressing from a box, sole instead of turkey, pickled herring, tuna casserole, lobster and shrimp mac and cheese, blue cheese mashed potatoes, pickled watermelon rind, jalapeno dressing, turkey meatloaf, tofurkey, lasagna, timpano and toutha. One person shared that, “There was a “family” dressing recipe that included sunflower seeds – the person who made it did not realize that they needed to be removed from the shells.”
Another told the story that, “Once we arrived very late to a feast… and I was starving so I made a HUGE plate of food. There was almost nothing left since we were so late. Then I grabbed the gravy boat and drizzled gravy all over all my food. When I started eating, I realized the gravy boat had CARAMEL in it! My meal was ruined. And there weren’t any more leftovers! It was unforgettable.”
Not all unexpected dishes were unwanted though. One person wrote about, “Banana salad (bananas, peanuts with a dressing made from Miracle Whip and pineapple juice). A family tradition recipe from my husband’s grandmother. The first time I heard about it, I couldn’t believe it would taste good, but it does and it’s a must-have for Thanksgiving.”
Pie is an important part of the Thanksgiving feast and people like to have multiple options, but pumpkin pie topped the list with 78% of respondents. Apple was next on the list (50%) followed by Pecan with Sweet Potato bringing up the tail end. Many people listed the other desserts they make sure to include in their celebrations including cheesecake, cherry pie, lemon meringue, and a concoction of lime Jello with whipped cream, nuts and pineapple. Chocolate desserts were also common, taking the shape of chocolate pie, French silk pie, chocolate cream pie, chocolate pecan pie, chocolate pudding and even a “malted milk chocolate cake with whipped frosting all made from scratch.”
We asked about specific ethnic food traditions incorporated into the Thanksgiving meal and we were given examples of dishes from Mexico, Peru, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Canada, Korea, Chile, Sweden, Norway, China, Ukraine, Japan, the Philippines, Jewish food, soul food and “just good ole Southern cooking.” There were mentions of lefse, arroz con gandules, cactus salad, gimbap, Chilean beef, eff rolls, challah, collard greens, asado and tortillas, Canadian butter tarts, Latvian piragi, pasta, perogies, nanaimo bars, enchiladas, lasagna, blintzes, kasha, frybread, and making peppernuts.
One Scandinavian responder, who was the one that celebrates Black Sheep Friday, said that “in addition to the regular fixings we have several Norwegian dishes. Also… we have changing meal themes each year on day two. Sometimes it is junk food Friday, or taco bar Friday, or Chinese banquet Friday, or little Italy Friday. You get the idea.”
Most people either haven’t had to deal with dietary restrictions or have easily been able to integrate them into their holiday plans. Many people find they have enough variety that there’s something for everyone, some will bring their own food, and others either make simple modifications to existing dishes or make two versions of something. Several suggested that clear labeling makes things easier, and one person wrote, “We are lucky and only deal with a nut allergy. NO NUTS ALLOWED (except actual family members).”
When it comes to place settings, 37% said they use their everyday dinnerware versus 25% who lay out their fine china (some even have specific Thanksgiving china and one brings out the Christmas china to start the season). Among the over 30% who use paper plates, many noted theirs are fancy, silly, seasonal, or festive and many people use a mix of dishware. One responder wrote, “I’ve done china and everyday dishes. This year, it’s paper plates!”
When it came to “go to” recipes and solutions for Thanksgiving leftovers there were some clear leaders. Turkey sandwiches (which come in many forms) topped the list. And while there were many different suggestions for serving them (including open faced, on Hawaiian sweet rolls, white bread, hamburger buns, as sliders, and in wrap form) the most common was what one person referred to as their husband’s “Thanksgiving night sandwich – bread, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy topped with another slice of bread!” Soup and turkey pot pie were next on the list with one person suggesting you layer turkey, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, covered with a little gravy. Turkey tetrazzini, salads, casseroles, and serving leftovers the same way they were eaten the first time (“Just microwave and enjoy”) were mentioned as well as sending everyone home with food and several even some people who typically have no leftovers.
Some of our respondents have been getting creative and mentioned mashed potato pancakes, turkey leftover egg rolls (which appeared four different times), putting leftovers on waffles, a person who mixes turkey, stuffing & gravy together, wraps it in crescent rolls and bakes, bubble and squeak, turkey quesadillas, chimichangas, and turkitos (turkey burritos) as well as one person who wrote, “Turketti – spaghetti noodles, broth, cheese, veggies, turkey but my hubby hates it!”
THE TRADITIONS
When it comes to decorating, most people stuck to Fall/Harvest (38.5%) and Thanksgiving specific (25%) décor while 24% don’t do any special decorating at all. About 9% of people reported having their Christmas decorations up with one saying they put a tree up just for their grandchildren to decorate, another said they have young family members gather green from outside to decorate the table, while one person reported still having their Halloween decorations up, another who decorates with a Detroit Lions theme, and one more who always brings out Gobbles, a turkey Beanie Baby, to adorn the table.
Card games were the biggest vote getter for non-screen-based activities with board games a close second. Playing football came in a distant third followed by pool and ping pong. Cornhole received the most write-in votes, but a variety of other activities were mentioned including dominos, dice, walks, hikes, turkey trot 5Ks, playing music and singing, bocce, jigsaw puzzles, trivia, charades, bingo, and conversation.
When it comes to screen-based entertainment, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was most popular with 66% of respondents reporting they watch the parade. Watching professional sports came in at 58%, 29% said they watch Christmas movies, 28% tune in to the National Dog Show, 23% watch (non-Christmas) movies on TV and 8% said they go out to see a movie. Individual responses included playing group video games, planning their meal to coincide with halftime of the Lions game, not having the TV on at all, and rewatching the WKRP in Cincinnati episode with the ‘flying’ turkeys.
When asked which family tradition they would do away with if they could, the majority of people responded that they wouldn’t change anything at all. The usual suspects of stress related to travel and involved with hosting, cooking and cleaning up were mentioned, as were overeating, having to watch football, inflexible work schedules or having to be on call, and loud, nosy, late or negative relatives. Some people wrote that they’d already done away with the things they didn’t like, “no more fine china, no house hopping, no more weird Jello dishes.”
When asked if there is something about your own family’s traditions, foods, or rituals that you discovered isn’t common in other households, food-related comments dominated the list. People were surprised to be served seafood instead of turkey, and several people used ham as a main dish instead of (or in addition to) turkey, there were wide variations found in the preparation of stuffing, the absence of mashed potatoes and gravy was mentioned by one person while another was surprised to see it at her boyfriend’s family’s dinner as her family never served them, one person said their family eats breakfast food all day. Another answered, “The amount of turkeys we have! We usually have 3 turkeys because we are a large family and everyone wants to be able to take home leftovers. It’s an added bonus to taste test different recipes and/ or cooking methods of the different turkeys…roasted, fried, brined, etc.” And one respondent said, “I love when we turkey bacon BLTs for Thanksgiving, instead of having a regular turkey.”
The difference in approach to Thanksgiving meal attire was a common theme with one respondent noting, “My family always got dressed up for the meal. My husband’s family comes to the table in sweats and a football jersey.”
Asked about things that you would like to incorporate into your family’s activities, the most common answers involved people, either wanting to increase the size of the group to include more people or wanting to spend even more time with them. Adding more activities (whether games or being outside) and adding community service were also mentioned. One person wrote that, “A dear friend brought a sweet potato and apple dish one year that my kids love so we’ve added that to our repertoire.” Another reminisced about, “One of my good friend’s made a big to do of Friendsgiving dinner and hand painted each of us a wine glass and we ate on her families’ china. I wish every family or friend meal was this special of a feeling.”
THE PEOPLE
When it came to the aspects of getting together with others that you are really NOT looking forward to, cleaning up and doing the dishes topped the list with 48%. Awkward conversations (34%) and discussing politics (32%) were next on the list followed by being asked the same questions repeatedly (18%), arguments (14%) and unappetizing food (9%). A handful of people talked about how much they will miss relatives who recently passed away.
The thing people are MOST looking forward to about this Thanksgiving is the abundance of delicious food (68%). Being able to see family or friends who live far away was second at 58% while 56% clicked the button for being happy about having a long weekend off from work.
There were a variety of activities you enjoy doing at your family’s gatherings but spending time together, catching up and reminiscing were mentioned most frequently, with eating, playing games, going for post-meal walks and black Friday shopping also making multiple appearances. One responder wrote that they most look forward to when, “We each write a few sentences about what we are thankful for and put it in a jar. Pass around the jar and others read your sentences. No names but fun to guess who wrote which sentences of thanks.” While another said, “Just sitting back and relaxing and talking while everyone wears their biggest sweat suite and enjoys the company.” Another said their favorite thing was when, “We dump a huge pile of Lego on the table after we eat and everyone pulls up a chair and plays.”
Sixty-six people answered our prompt to share comments and stories! Many shared mishaps, advice, what they are most looking forward to, and cherished memories. We’ve included a sampling of your responses here. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. The Appreciation at Work team wishes you a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving, no matter how or where you spend it. And as one person wrote, it’s, “always good to spend time together. It is what matters most. The rest is literally gravy.”
Tags: Thanksgiving PollCategories Appreciation, Holidays, Relationships, Thankfulness
