Thanksgiving Conversations: What to Talk About (and What to Avoid!)

Thanksgiving is one of the great American traditions: food, gratitude, family… and the annual challenge of navigating table conversations without starting a small civil war.

For many families, the menu includes turkey, stuffing, and at least one awkward topic someone insists on serving.

Let’s avoid that this year.

Here are some conversation ideas that bring warmth instead of tension.

Great Thanksgiving Conversation Starters

  • Favorite holiday traditions

  • The funniest thing that happened this year

  • A person you're grateful for

  • Travel stories

  • Recipes you love

  • Stories about parents or grandparents

These spark connection without conflict.

Topics to Gently Avoid

  • Politics (all of them!)

  • Medical details—no one needs that over mashed potatoes

  • Debates about carbs or diets

  • Family conflicts or old arguments

  • The state of the turkey if it’s a little dry

  • Anything involving social media rumors

Thanksgiving is not the time for debates. It’s a day for presence—the kind that sits across the table, not the kind wrapped in paper.

Ask good questions. Share good stories. Laugh often. Give grace when it's needed.

Nobody remembers the perfect Thanksgiving.
They remember the loving, messy, joyful ones.

Wayne Gignac