Almost Half Of Americans Don't Say Thanks -- To God Or Each Other -- Before Thanksgiving Dinner

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/27/thanksgiving-prayer-poll_n_6229960.html

The Huffington Post
Posted: 11/27/2014 8:53 am EST Updated: 11/27/2014 10:59 am EST


fstop123 via Getty Images

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks, often to family and God -- or so common wisdom tells us.

But according to a new HuffPost/YouGov poll, only 40 percent of Americans plan to talk about what they are thankful for before Thanksgiving dinner. A little more than half, 52 percent, say they plan to say a prayer before the dinner.



The survey, conducted late last week and early this week among a representative sample of American adults, asked respondents which of the following they planned to do before Thanksgiving dinner: say a prayer, offer a secular reading, talk about what they are thankful for or none of the above. People could check more than one response and could also say that they were “not sure.”

more at link

[fishwax]

1. the headline doesn't seem to match the survey

More than half said they would say a prayer and 40% said they would say what they were thankful for. Twenty percent said they would do none of the above.

[cbayer]

2. You are so right. Pretty sloppy journalism right there.

[oldandhappy]

3. In our half, we each wrote a few things down for which we were thankful

and then we had a group prayer which we all know and say together.

And then we ate!

[cbayer]

4. We had a tradition of going around the table and saying

what we were thankful for.. It was a very positive thing and not done often enough.

Hope you had some great eats and were around some great people.

[oldandhappy]

5. yep!!!

Good positive folk.

My niece, nephew in love, two great nephews. I am blessed. And stuffed!

[cbayer]

6. I went to a potluck with 225 people.

Even though our table was just about the last to be called, there was still an enormous amount of very delicious food.

Glad yours was good.

[bvf]

12. How nice for you.

Last edited Fri Nov 28, 2014, 06:02 AM - Edit history (1)

This is at least the second time you've mentioned it. Probably the third.

Did you have to claim homelessness in order to participate?

[cbayer]

13. Of course not, silly. It was open to everyone in the community.

And what an interesting group of people it is. You will rarely meet such a diverse population in one place. It was wonderful.

I can tell you more if you are interested, including all the parts that provided for the community.

If I have the chance to mention it again, I will let you know, since you are keeping score.

So, how was your Thanksgiving?

[longship]

7. My family just chatted.

We'd be together so there was no thanks required. We would all work together to get the vast repast put together. It was always a family get together, even when we lived far apart. There was no need for prayers or overt thank yous. Just being together was thanksgiving enough.

And D'ya know what? We all knew that without anybody lecturing us about being overtly thankful.

[cbayer]

8. I love that big, traditional family dinner.

While being together is the best thing, taking a moment to recognize what you have and how fortunate you are is a nice tradition in my family.

There was never a lecture about gratitude, just an opportunity to express it out loud.

[stopbush]

9. With income inequality being rampant these days, with the rich getting richer

and everyone else losing ground, what is there to be thankful for?

"Well, you're alive, aren't you?" might be the retort.

Really?

Is that what we've been reduced to? Giving thanks for existence?

I think it's progress that people refuse to put on the monkey suit of organized, dictated thanks giving. The majority of Americans are happy just to have a day off with their family, while the rest of America is forced to work the day by their corporate masters.

Religion loves to tell people to grovel at the feet of their masters and to give thanks to the imaginary god for the little they have. It keeps people in line. People need to get out of line when it comes to Thanksgiving.

[cbayer]

10. There is always something to be grateful for.

Friends, family, the meal

Just living in a first world country should elicit gratitude.

This really doesn't have to do with religion or telling people to grovel at the feet of their masters. Religion comes in more flavors than you can count, so it may be a wee bit dogmatic to say what religion loves to tell people.

How did you spend your day? Hope it was a good one. If you chose not to have a moment of thankfulness, that's great and clearly you are not alone.

[AtheistCrusader]

11. Part of the family did.

Most of us were simply happy to get together for the first time in many years.

[brooklynite]

14. Apparently whomever wrote this piece flunked mathematics

According to the poll, 92% say a thanks either to God or each other...

Say a prayer: 52%
Talk about what I'm thankful for: 40%

[cbayer]

15. Agree to a point, but I'm going to challenge your math as well.

Respondents were able to choose more than one category, so the 92% number is not correct either.