Thanksgiving, traditionally viewed as a unifying national holiday, increasingly reflects the broader ideological and cultural divisions within American society. The choices made around the dinner table—from menu selections to guest lists—often reveal deeper shifts in values, economic conditions, and political attitudes. At the same time, the holiday continues to serve as an opportunity for connection and reflection on shared national ideals.
Dining habits are evolving. More Americans are opting for restaurant take-out or dine-in services during the holiday. According to research by Popmenu, a restaurant software company, there was a 42% increase in 2024 compared to the previous year in the number of people planning to order meals or eat out on Thanksgiving. Cost considerations and the desire to reduce cooking responsibilities while maximizing family time are key drivers behind this trend.
The duration of Thanksgiving gatherings also offers insight into social cohesion. A 2018 study analyzing smartphone location data found that politically diverse dinners were 30 to 50 minutes shorter than those among ideologically homogeneous groups. A follow-up study in 2020 showed a smaller gap, with mixed-political dinners averaging 24 minutes shorter. These findings suggest that political differences continue to influence interpersonal dynamics, though the effect may be moderating.
Survey data from YouGov in 2025 indicates that 19% of Democrats anticipate political arguments during Thanksgiving meals, compared to 9% of Republicans, pointing to differing levels of political tension across party lines.
Despite these divides, the holiday remains widely celebrated. The National Turkey Federation reports that 94% of Americans plan to observe Thanksgiving, with 87% including turkey in their meal and 74% serving a whole bird. However, culinary traditions are becoming more inclusive. Jennie-O, a turkey producer, found that 55% of Americans are open to trying Thanksgiving recipes from other cultures, especially through side dishes, signaling a blending of traditional and global influences.
Even the ceremonial presidential turkey pardon has evolved. In the early 2000s, the birds were often unnamed and treated anonymously. In recent years, it has become customary to give them names and highlight their post-pardon care, reflecting a broader cultural shift toward animal welfare and symbolic recognition.
According to long-term data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, people typically spend about 128 minutes preparing and cleaning up after the meal, 89 minutes eating and drinking, and approximately 148 minutes socializing—a pattern that underscores the holiday’s enduring role as a time for family and community.
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Shifting Thanksgiving traditions reflect broader political, economic and cultural divides
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.
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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.