Thanksgiving Sayings

Whether you’re with your family this year in person or you’re celebrating Thanksgiving separately but are together in spirit, express how you feel with a meaningful, yet brief, saying.

• It humbles me to break bread with this wonderful family. My deepest gratitude for you as we gather together for turkey and all the trimmings.
• On Thanksgiving, again I am reminded that my cup runneth over with blessings for which I remain eternally grateful. The greatest of these is this family.
• With gratitude, appreciation and love for all of you, I am reminded as we gather together for this Thanksgiving meal just how fortunate I am to be part of this family.
• It’s an honor to be a part of this family, something I am reminded of every time we all gather together for a special celebration. I am thankful to be with you all today, and always.
• Let us not take this time together for granted, my family. Instead, let us come together in gratitude for all that we’ve shared together and continue to share on this holiday of Thanksgiving.
• Across many miles, Thanksgiving brings us together for family-filled smiles.
• For giving me life and teaching me what love means, I am forever grateful to you, my incredible parents. I am so thankful that we’re able to share this day together.
• It is truly a privilege to be a member of this family. Though miles separate us this year, I am there in spirit and thankful for the Thanksgivings we’ve spent together in the past and the many special moments we’ll share together in the future.
• I am grateful for the life that we share together and the love that keeps us together; there’s nothing more deserving of gratitude than the love of family.

Of course, family-focused Thanksgiving quotes don’t have to be serious or sentimental. Depending on the dynamic of your family, a few funny sayings or quotes just might be the perfect tone. When cracking jokes about this topic at Thanksgiving, it’s probably best to go with a well-known, catchy Thanksgiving phrase rather than coming up with something to say on your own. That way, you can deflect blame to the source of the quote just in case someone in the family isn’t too amused by what you have to say.

• "After a good dinner, one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations." - Oscar Wilde
• "I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage." - Erma Bombeck
• "My cooking is so bad my kids thought Thanksgiving was to commemorate Pearl Harbor." - Phyllis Diller
• "Most turkeys taste better the day after; my mother's tasted better the day before." - Rita Rudner
• "Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then they discover once a year is way too often." - Johnny Carson

Whether you’re looking for just a few brief words to share or delivering a full Thanksgiving speech and need a creative introductory statement, consider a special saying or short quote focused on gratitude.

• As I look around at you, my loved ones, I am overcome with gratitude for the abundance you all bring to my life.
• My attitude this Thanksgiving is filled with gratitude.
• On this Thanksgiving, I am grateful for so much — this time, this moment, this meal, this family, and so much more.
• My heart is full of gratitude on this day of Thanksgiving.
• Who could have more to be grateful for than I?
• "An attitude of gratitude brings great things." - Yogi Bhajan
• "Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude." - E.P. Powell
• "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John F. Kennedy
• "Be present in all things and thankful for all things." - Maya Angelou
• "The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest." - William Blake

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to engage in prayers and reflections honoring God and thanking Him for the bountiful blessings in your life, if it fits with your belief system.

• I bow my head in gratitude not just for this bountiful meal, but for the love of my family and the power of faith.
• I know every day what it means to be blessed; Thanksgiving is simply a time to reflect. My gratitude to God for His mercy, blessings and all of creation, for allowing the founding of this incredible nation.
• To whom do we owe gratitude for the many blessings of this earthly life? We bow our heads in gratitude to God.
• Glory and gratitude to God on this day of Thanksgiving; let us carry thankfulness for His blessings in our hearts every day of the year.
• "I give thanks to my Creator for this wonderful life where each of us has the opportunity to learn lessons we could not fully comprehend by any other means." - Joseph B. Wirthlin
• "To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do." - Victor Hugo
• "Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more: Peace in the hearts of all men living, peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving." - Joseph Auslander
• "Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God / Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains." - Psalms 147:7-8
• "If the only prayer you said in your whole life was 'thank you,' that would suffice." - Meister Eckhart

What Thanksgiving would be complete without watching the big game? Love it or hate it, football is a part of the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Who’s ready for turkey and touchdowns?
• Thanksgiving is today’s name, and football is the game!
• What would Thanksgiving be without an afternoon nap in front of a professional football game?
• "Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence." - Erma Bombeck
• "The Pilgrims had amazing foresight to invent Thanksgiving and football on the same day." - Greg Tamblyn
• "I like football. I find it's an exciting, strategic game. It's a great way to avoid conversation with your family at Thanksgiving." - Craig Ferguson
• “That's one of the great things about Thanksgiving: Football's on!” - Michael Strahan
• "On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment — half time" - Unknown

Some friends are like family. Whether you celebrate with friends on the fourth Thursday of November or you gather for Friendsgiving on another day, express gratitude for your closest friends with a creative saying or widely known quote. 

• You are the family I chose, my friends. Where I would be without you I don’t want to ever know. I love you, I’m grateful for you, and I appreciate you every day from now until the world should end.
• To my sisters from other misters and brothers from other mothers, for you I am eternally grateful.
• Friendship is a gift and a blessing that is all too precious. Let this Friendsgiving be a reminder to never take the treasure of our friendship for granted.
• "Friends are the family you choose." - Jess C. Scott
• "I'm thankful for Friendsgiving because it's all the eating and drinking of Thanksgiving without the judgment." - Unknown
• "Friendship consists of forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives." - Alexandre Dumas
• "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" - C.S. Lewis

No matter how far you travel or how many people share your Thanksgiving meal, be sure to show your gratitude to the people you care most about. Whether you’ve been invited to give a Thanksgiving speech or you simply want to share a special sentiment via a toast or a thank you note to a friend or relative, these quotes and sayings can make the day even more meaningful. To make the most of your time with those you love on this special occasion, bring along these Thanksgiving word games to enjoy together after the meal.