Thanksgiving - Statistics & Facts
Thanksgiving is one of the major holidays in the United States. Since it became a public holiday in 1862, it has taken place on the fourth Thursday of November each year. Family and friends usually come together for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to be thankful. A traditional Thanksgiving meal in the United States commonly features turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, bread, and a pie as dessert.Â
Thanksgiving dinner staple: Turkey
In 2022, the average price of ingredients for a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner peaked at 64.05 U.S. dollars. Despite declining since then, the cost of a typical dinner is still up over 17 percent compared to 2020. As turkey plays a central role in the feast, this component typically takes up the largest share of the meal’s expenditure. On average, the price for a 16-pound (7.26 kg) turkey before Thanksgiving was 21.50 U.S. dollars. Turkey is particularly expensive in Hawaii, where the average cost of a 15-pound turkey is 55.70 dollars. In 2025, 29 percent of households stated that their plans for Thanksgiving had been impacted by high grocery prices.
Thanksgiving weekend shopping
Besides the reunion between family and friends, Thanksgiving contributes heavily to annual retail holiday sales. Black Friday takes place right after Thanksgiving Day and advertises special offers and discounts to boost holiday sales. In 2025, 187 million people are expected to shop over Thanksgiving weekend, a two percent increase over the previous year. Walmart was the store most consumers planned to visit in-person. Nevertheless, most people in 2025 planned to do their holiday shopping online.
