Thanksgiving Truce: 58% of Americans Say They'll Avoid Politics to Keep Peace at the Table

As households across the country prepare turkeys and side dishes, many families are quietly embracing a new Thanksgiving ritual: avoiding political debates at the dinner table.

A recent survey found 58% of respondents plan to steer clear of political conversations this holiday season. When asked which part of Thanksgiving they find most stressful, 24% pointed to political or personal discussions, according to savings.com. A separate YouGov poll reported that 22% of Americans said it is not very likely they will talk about politics at the table, while 27% said they will avoid the subject entirely.

Other polling paints a slightly different picture: roughly one in five people say they would actively avoid relatives with opposing political views, yet about three-quarters say they feel comfortable spending the holiday with those who hold different opinions. In short, households are balancing tolerance with a desire for calm.

The trend toward a holiday truce follows several years of heightened tension on social media. In 2017 the hashtag #RuinThanksgiving circulated widely, encouraging some users to provoke relatives into angry debates. In response, many families now prioritize connection and hospitality over confrontation.

“Families have lived through a pandemic, heated election cycles, and endless online discourse that feels more like combat than conversation,” said Alison Cheperdak, founder of Elevate Etiquette. “By the time we sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, people are tired of all that — and they want connection, not conflict.”

Cheperdak explains that avoiding hot-button topics at the table is often an act of relationship protection rather than avoidance. She encourages guests and hosts to be authentic without being inflammatory and suggests gentle pivots such as, “Let’s save that one for after dessert,” or “I’d love to hear your thoughts another time — tonight I want to enjoy being together.” She also advises hosts to model calm behavior and to steer conversations back to shared memories or neutral topics if discussions begin to heat up.

Social media reflects a mix of humor and practical advice about the subject. Some users joke about the financial benefits of avoiding holiday arguments, while others post prompts for light conversation or encourage sharing fond family stories. One user recalled a low-drama memory of cooking a 35 lb. farm-raised turkey during a power outage — shuttling the bird between ovens and a wood stove until the electricity returned — and still calling the result “yummy.”

With varied poll results and personal strategies, this year’s Thanksgiving looks likely to be a blend of truce, tolerance and, in some households, continued debate. Overall, the broader trend suggests more families are choosing calm conversation and shared moments over political confrontation at the table.