Just under half of the people who will watch a football game on Thanksgiving say that they will watch it during their dinner, while people in the South are the most likely to invite people from outside the family to Thanksgiving.
People around the country are currently settling in for a day of turkey and talking, family and fowl. Thanksgiving began in the Puritan colonies of New England to give thanks to God for the harvest and the blessings of the prior year. Since then the holiday has become largely secular and is celebrated as an occasion for Americans to gather the family together. The holiday has also acquired many associated traditions over the year, from eating turkey and sweet potatoes, to holding parades and watching football games on TV.
YouGov's latest research shows that the perennial battle over football on Thanksgiving is still unresolved. 37% of Americans say that they will watch a football game on Thanksgiving, while around half of these football fans say that they will watch a game during Thanksgiving dinner. Fans in the Northeast are the most committed, with 52% saying that they'll watch it during dinner, and only fans in the South are more likely to not watch it during dinner (45%) than watch it (37%).
87% of Americans say that they are 'thankful' this year, while 13% say that they aren't. Men, people aged 30-44 and Democrats are the most likely to say that they aren't thankful, while people earning over $100,000 a year, women and over-65s are the most thankful.
Only 6% of people are less thankful this year than last, with 39% saying that they are even more thankful this year than last. Interestingly, Republicans (9%) and over-65s (10%) are the most likely to say that they are less thankful this year than last.
The South lives up to stereotypes as being the most inviting region of the country, with 66% of Southerners saying that they invite people to Thanksgiving who would otherwise be alone on the holiday. The Midwest is the least inviting, though even here most people (55%) say that they would invite someone who would otherwise be alone.
Americans are solidly behind white meat from the turkey, with only 19% of Americans preferring dark meat. 32% say that they like both white and dark meat, while 41% say that they prefer white meat.
Full poll results can be found here.
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