Thanksgiving is a holiday cherished by families across the United States as it sees loved ones come together, but the run-up to the big day can be stressful.
From figuring out who to invite, who’s going to host, what to cook and how to keep it all running smoothly, there is a lot of planning involved to create the perfect day.
And, depending on where in the U.S. you live, there could be a big difference in the amount of time you dedicate to planning Thanksgiving 2024.
A survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of the Jennie-O brand asked 5,000 Americans— 00 people in each of the 50 states—how long it takes to plan Thanksgiving.
And the results are in: overall, Americans suggest preparations should begin more than four weeks in advance. Planning the guest list and menu can each take upward of two weeks, and the actual cooking preparations can take three days, while cooking the meal on the day takes an average of five hours.
Map of the U.S. showing how many days people in each state think you need to plan Thanksgiving. A new survey has found that Americans usually take weeks to plan the perfect celebration.
Talker Research/ Jennie-O
Delaware was the most-prepared state, with respondents averaging 17 days to plan the guest list, and an additional 19 days to build the menu, the survey found.
The First State was followed by Virginia, which had 15.7 days for the guest list and 16.6 days for the menu on average—while North Carolina residents will spend an average of 17.4 days just deciding on their menu.
It’s not just the level of preparation researchers looked into, as the survey, conducted online between July 26 and August 7, found that Americans are split on whether they prefer to be a guest or a host.
One thing that was abundantly clear from the research is that Americans love Thanksgiving leftovers—96 percent of respondents enjoy either using them in a sandwich (44 percent), incorporating them into other meals (41 percent), have a second Thanksgiving meal (32 percent) or just snack on the food on its own (25 percent).
Leftovers are so popular, in fact, that 22 percent admitted they would rather keep the remaining food for themselves than send some home with guests.
In between meals and family time, Americans are still spending money—last year a new spending record was broken on Thanksgiving Day, with Adobe Analytics reporting there was $5.6 billion in online sales during the annual holiday, a 5.5 percent increase on 2022.
Elsewhere, the new survey found most Americans believe baking the turkey is the only right way to cook it—though 20 percent of people in Oklahoma prefer their turkey smoked instead.
And while the turkey remains the main event, almost one in 10 (9 percent) prefer ham.
When it comes to side dishes, stuffing came out as the favorite, with 77 percent of people saying they enjoyed it. This was followed by rolls or biscuits, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole.
Stock image of a traditional Thanksgiving table. Stuffing is Americans favorite side dish of the holiday, according to a new survey.
VeselovaElena/Getty Images
Kim Anderson, senior brand manager at Talker Research, said: “It’s clear that Americans across the country take their Thanksgiving spreads seriously, especially since 82 percent believe that planning the menu, guest list and cooking preparations are imperative to the overall success of the holiday.
“Whether you’re cooking from scratch or cutting down on time with prepared foods, having a variety of options for everyone is sure to make this Thanksgiving one to remember.”
Talker Research surveyed 5,000 Americans (100 in each state); the survey was commissioned by Jennie-O and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 26 and August 7, 2024.
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