Americans Grateful for Family but Avoid Certain Thanksgiving Conversations

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Nov 18, 2016, 12:42 ET

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans give thanks for family but don't want to talk politics or money with them during Thanksgiving dinner.

According to the 2016 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey¹, 71 percent of Americans say family is the one thing for which they are most grateful, but nearly a third of them (30 percent) insist politics are strictly off-limits as a conversation topic during the celebration. Another 28 percent prefer to keep the subject of family finances off the Thanksgiving table.

According to the 2016 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey, 71 percent of Americans say family is the one thing for which they are most grateful, but nearly a third of them (30 percent) insist politics are strictly off-limits as a conversation topic during the celebration. Another 28 percent prefer to keep the subject of family finances off the Thanksgiving table.

"Family remains central to the Thanksgiving holiday, far outpacing food, football and Black Friday shopping," says Doug Jeske, president of Meyocks, the Iowa branding and marketing firm that conducted the study. "But to keep family a blessing, many Americans decide to avoid conversations that might change their feelings toward their family members."

Still, nearly a quarter of Americans expect to talk politics this Thanksgiving. Surprisingly, perhaps, there is no correlation between those willing to talk politics and whether alcohol is served with the meal.

Turkey and the Trimmings

While there is considerable disagreement in this country over politics, Americans unite when it comes to Thanksgiving food:

96 percent of Thanksgiving dinners will feature turkey.
86 percent will have stuffing.
83 percent will have mashed potatoes.
80 percent will have dinner rolls.
74 percent will have pumpkin pie.
71 percent will have green beans.

If you're looking for home-made stuffing or gravy, however, you may want to make your way to your rural relatives, who are more likely to serve these offerings than their urban counterparts. But you're no more likely to hear a prayer there: rural, suburban and urban residents are equally likely to say a blessing before the meal.

About 40 percent of Thanksgiving celebrations feature a "kids table," though about a third of the time there's a kids table, adults sit there as well.

After the meal, 41 percent of Americans will take a walk to help work it off. Only 34 percent admit to a post-meal nap.

To download infographics with 2016 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey results, visit http://www.meyocks.com/2016-meyocks-thanksgiving-survey/.

About Meyocks

Meyocks, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, is an integrated branding and marketing communications agency that shapes marketplace meaning for health, food, agricultural and mentor brands.

[1]The 2016 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey was conducted nationwide via an online panel with 1,006 Americans age 18 and over. For results based on the total sample of American adults, the margin of error is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161118/441176

SOURCE Meyocks