Shifting Thanksgiving traditions reflect broader political, economic and cultural divides
Thanksgiving has long been celebrated as a holiday of unity, yet it increasingly reflects the deep divisions within American society. The dynamics of Thanksgiving dinner—from the choice of food to who attends—serve as a microcosm of the broader ideological and cultural shifts occurring across the nation. While the holiday is intended to bridge divides and celebrate the American experience, it often reveals the fractures that exist within families and communities. For example, the traditional Thanksgiving menu is evolving, with a notable increase in take-out and dine-in options. Research from Popmenu indicates a 42% rise in the number of Americans opting to order from restaurants for Thanksgiving dinner, driven by factors such as rising costs and a desire to spend more quality time with loved ones rather than worrying about cooking.
The length of time families spend at the dinner table also highlights these cultural divides. A 2018 study found that politically diverse Thanksgiving gatherings tend to be shorter—averaging 30 to 50 minutes less—than those where attendees share similar political beliefs. This trend continued in a 2020 study, which noted a 24-minute reduction in the duration of politically mixed dinners. Surveys from YouGov reveal that 19% of Democrats anticipate political discussions during their meals, compared to just 9% of Republicans, underscoring how political tensions can color the Thanksgiving experience. Despite these challenges, the National Turkey Federation reports that 94% of Americans still plan to celebrate Thanksgiving, with 87% including turkey as a staple of their holiday traditions. Interestingly, there is a growing openness to diverse culinary traditions, with 55% of Americans expressing interest in incorporating recipes from different cultures into their Thanksgiving meals, indicating a blend of old and new that is redefining the holiday.
Moreover, even the symbolic act of the presidential turkey pardon has evolved, reflecting changing attitudes toward animal welfare. In the early 2000s, the turkeys presented for pardon were often unnamed and treated anonymously. Today, they are given names and treated with more care, mirroring a broader societal shift towards compassion for animals. As Thanksgiving approaches, it remains a complex tapestry of tradition and change, where the food served, the company gathered, and the conversations had can all reflect the wider cultural landscape of America. Whether through a shared turkey or a fusion of culinary influences, the holiday continues to be a time for reflection on both unity and division, making it a uniquely American celebration.
Thanksgiving is often cast as a holiday of unity, but it has also become a microcosm of the country’s fractures.
What winds up being served for
Thanksgiving dinner,
who shows up — or doesn’t — and whether politics gets mentioned, can reflect broader shifts in ideology and culture. Simultaneously, Thanksgiving is still intended to bridge divides and emphasize the magnificence of the great American experiment launched centuries ago.
One example of this is the food Americans choose to eat on Thanksgiving and how they make it.
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Take-out and dine-in options have become more widely adopted in contemporary Thanksgiving celebrations, with research from restaurant software company Popmenu finding a 42% increase from 2024 in the number of folks who plan to order from, or dine-in at, a restaurant on Thanksgiving. Costs were a primary reason for the shift, along with wanting to spend more time with family and not worry about cooking.
The length of time spent at the dinner table can also be quite telling.
In 2018, university researchers analyzed smartphone location data pings and determined that “politically diverse” Thanksgiving dinners tended to be significantly shorter than those dinners involving a family of entirely like-minded individuals. The study, conducted in 2018, showed the average dinner was 30 minutes to 50 minutes shorter at tables full of politically diverse folks, while a study measuring the same thing in 2020 found politically diverse dinners to be about 24 minutes shorter on average.
Meanwhile, other Thanksgiving survey data from 2025, published by YouGov, found that 19% of Democrats expect to have political arguments at the dinner table, compared to 9% of Republicans.
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It is hard to say overall whether Thanksgiving diners have gotten longer or shorter, but according to the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Economic Research Service, people typically spend around 128 minutes on meal preparation and cleanup, 89 minutes on eating and drinking, and about 148 minutes socializing, according to a long-term analysis conducted between 2003 and 2015.
According to the National Turkey Federation, 94% of Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving.
The group added that 87% of those who celebrate say turkey is part of their holiday tradition, with 74% planning to serve an entire bird.
However, simultaneously, other findings from turkey producer Jennie-O indicated that there is a growing openness for less traditional Thanksgiving meal options, which the group said shows a “blend of old and new is redefining what Thanksgiving dinner looks like across America.”
The turkey product brand noted that 55% of Americans were “open to trying Thanksgiving recipes from different cultures,” particularly via side dishes.
Even the changing treatment of the turkeys used for the
presidential pardon
has shifted slightly over the years.
In the early-2000s, turkeys that were presented were sometimes unnamed, or treated more anonymously, but more recently it has become standard to dub the turkeys with names and humanize them a bit. That trend also mirrors a shift toward better care for the pardoned turkeys over the years.
