Mentimeter research reveals politics and the pandemic to be on the menu for Americans this Thanksgiving
With this month’s Thanksgiving set to be a little different to normal, following the election we polled Americans about how COVID and politics will impact this most American of holidays.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the festive season. Traditionally, it is a time for families to come together, eat their favorite foods, and celebrate the things that they are most thankful for.
But with a pandemic ongoing, the election still a topic of debate, and activist movements raising questions for some over the holiday’s origins, Thanksgiving this year may prove to be unlike any Thanksgiving before it.
To explore how Americans are approaching Thanksgiving in 2020, and to discover what events and topics are set to ignite disputes, we polled over a thousand Americans about their attitudes and plans around the holiday.
We want everyone to feel included this Thanksgiving, even those not directly sat at the table. So to facilitate peaceful celebrations - both virtual and in-person - we have created a Menti to help channel the holiday spirit. Regardless of what your plans may be, Thanksgiving is all about family and friendship. With this interactive Menti, you can give all of those who would usually attend a little Thanksgiving cheer, and bring together the whole family.
Remote Thanksgiving
Key findings from the Thanksgiving 2020 research:
Virtual and canceled Thanksgivings
- 22% of Americans have canceled Thanksgiving this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 34% of Americans will be having a remote (all participants joining by video call) or partially remote (some participants attending in person, some joining via video call) Thanksgiving this year.
- 41% of Americans are expecting elderly and/or vulnerable people to be excluded from their Thanksgiving celebration this year.
- 32% of Americans would ignore lockdown restrictions to take part in Thanksgiving this year. 18-34-year-olds are most likely to break lockdown regulations: 57% of young people would ignore restrictions or guidelines to attend their Thanksgiving plans.
- As a consequence of protests and a call for a reevaluation of historical events, 31% of Americans would consider abandoning Thanksgiving in future due to controversies surrounding the holiday’s origins.
Family feuds
- 48% of Americans are anticipating some kind of political arguments this Thanksgiving. Only 4% say political arguments have been commonplace at Thanksgiving in previous years.
- The topics most likely to be the source of arguments this year are the election (34%), the COVID-19 pandemic (27%), and the Black Lives Matter movement (22%).
- 34% of Americans believe that they have become more vocal in expressing their political views since last Thanksgiving. Women (38%) are significantly more likely to feel more vocal about their political opinions than men (29%).
- 18% of Americans are actively looking forward to the prospect of increased political arguments this Thanksgiving. Men (24%) are more likely to be looking forward to increased arguments than women (12%), and 18-34-year-olds (47%) are much more likely than older people to be looking forward to political arguments.
