Gratitude & Gravy. Thanksgiving 2021 is Here.

The fall season is here with its many events and holidays to celebrate. Among those holidays is Thanksgiving, which is celebrated every year among many families in America on the fourth Thursday of November (or the second Monday in October in Canada).    

Thanksgiving originated in 1621, when the Wampanoag Native Americans and the Plymouth colonists gathered for an autumn harvest feast. This event is commonly called the “First Thanksgiving.” Over the years, Thanksgiving has become a day to give thanks and spend time with loved ones, along with watching parades and football over the course of the day!

What’s on the menu?

Thanksgiving dinner traditionally includes turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, yams, green beans, and gravy, followed by a pie (pumpkin is a seasonal favorite). 

When asked about their favorite Thanksgiving dish, responses varied slightly. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of people said that their favorite Thanksgiving dish was “Turkey and/or Ham” followed by “Stuffing/Dressing” at 20%. While “Potatoes” were the third most commonly mentioned dish at 12%, everything else contributed to less than 10% of respondents’ favorite dishes for Thanksgiving – so maybe there’s no need to bring that green bean casserole after all!

To celebrate or not to celebrate? That is the question!

In 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, only 38% of people intended to celebrate with friends and family in their homes, as opposed to 45% in 2019 (see Life in the Time of COVID-19: Thanksgiving 2020). 

This year, and providing an early reason to be thankful, it appears that some normality is returning to the holiday. Forty-six (46%) of respondents stated that they celebrate Thanksgiving by going to a friend/family members home. Approximately 45% of respondents said they will host Thanksgiving at their own home. 

Will you shop until you drop?

When asked about Black Friday shopping, 51% of respondents stated that they were unlikely to participate this year. Seventeen (17%) were unsure and 31% said they were likely to participate in Black Friday shopping this year (compared to only 12% in 2020).

Of those who will participate this year, 58% said that they planned to use Black Friday deals to do their holiday shopping. Among the 51% of respondents who stated that they were unlikely to participate in Black Friday this year, the majority of people (61%) stated it was because they are attempting to avoid large crowds.

This was very different from the responses for Cyber Monday, with the majority of respondents (54%) saying they were likely to participate this year, while only 22% stated they were unlikely to participate.

Let’s be thankful!

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks, and with the country beginning to see some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, there is much to give thanks for – friends, family, and loved ones top a lot of people’s lists, along with good health, and staying alive/surviving through the last twelve months. However you choose to celebrate and whatever you’re thankful for, we hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving – and while you’re contemplating another slice of pie, here’s a little reading about how Thanksgiving started and how it became a national holiday.