# Thanksgiving.........how many at your table **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 25, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558 "2015-11-25T16:00:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/41 "2015-11-26T15:04:20Z")
Three, plus a 17 pound turkey. And the leftovers are mine. . .all mine! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/42 "2015-11-26T15:16:05Z")
My extended family had our dinner last Sunday, with (I think) 25 in attendance (including one cousin and her husband who surprised her mother, the host, by flying over from England). My immediate family will be eating at my sister’s, with probably ten of us (conceivably twelve, but there’s a sister-in-law and her husband who have mostly cut themselves off from the family). ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/43 "2015-11-26T16:05:20Z")
Most years it’s 4. This year, as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, my Mom invited two 90+ year old ladies she plays bridge with, so I’ll have 6. Happy to have the extras. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/44 "2015-11-26T16:22:30Z")
Same as almost every year: 2. (My friend upcountry was down one year, so it was 3 then.) ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/45 "2015-11-26T16:41:22Z")
Going to a pot luck event that I think will have 14-18 people in attendance. We are hosting a pot luck leftovers (bring your own; eat someone else’s) party on Saturday and are expecting 50. ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/46 "2015-11-26T17:17:15Z")
11, but not til Saturday. When my in-laws were working, they worked the night shift, so they couldn’t come on Thanksgiving. We made it a tradition that they would arrive on Friday, and we’d do dinner on Saturday, and invite over friends and neighbors too. We deep-fry the turkey, and I spend all of the week leading up to it making the other dishes. Since we have a bigger crowd this year, I’m doing a roasted turkey as well, since I can’t get anything bigger than 14lbs into the deep fryer. On Thanksgiving itself, it’s just me and my husband and our three dogs. We make a nice meal for ourselves. This year it’s braised short ribs. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/47 "2015-11-27T01:46:51Z")
Two but only one at a time. (My wife ate first and I had a snack of leftovers when I got home from work) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/48 "2015-11-27T07:20:19Z")
1, my husband. I was bedridden with a really painful back. Oh, and the cats had their traditional turkey cat food. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/49 "2015-11-27T07:34:47Z")
Just myself, I had a burrito. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/50 "2015-11-27T12:34:06Z")
We had 10 this year. Years ago it varied between 15-20. Over half of our family has either since passed or has moved away. This was also the first year we didn’t have any stragglers. In the past we’ve hosted neighbors, fellow classmates who couldn’t afford to fly home, friends who had no nearby family. This year I guess everybody was spoken for :shrug: ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/51 "2015-11-27T13:22:44Z")
> [@Foggy](#): > > Just myself, I had a burrito. Same as this for me on Thursday, food court stuff. However your Thursday was actually my Friday and I had no sit down meal last night. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/52 "2015-11-27T14:22:45Z")
We had 4 - me, daughter, mom, and my mom’s “he’s not my boyfriend!” friend. It was very low key. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/53 "2015-11-27T15:52:02Z")
We had 4 - me, my husband and our two kids. It was nice, though I thought I’d get away with making homemade Chinese food but my kids really wanted a traditional Thanksgiving meal. It turned out pretty well, though, if you don’t count the flying raw turkey (tripped over a kid after I’d buttered the hell out of it - the turkey, not the kid). Luckily, it was still edible after a brief bath in the sink. And now my kitchen is spotless from washing up after the turkey. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/54 "2015-11-27T16:21:29Z")
Five at our table - my wife and I and our three sons, the eldest of whom is home from university for a long weekend. Getting him at the airport on Tues. night was problematic - heavy construction, and of course lots of travelers - but we pulled it off. Had beautiful weather on T’giving and took a long walk with the dog. Our feast included turkey, stuffing, Silver Palate mashed potatoes, mushy buttery lima beans (a tradition!), fresh rolls and three homemade pies - apple, pumpkin and chocolate. I read Elder Brewster’s Pilgrim prayer (“We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice”) as grace, and we went around the table and each said something we’re thankful for (another tradition). A fine day indeed. [http://imgc-cn.artprintimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/66/6698/EI8A100Z/posters/mike-twohy-the-takeaway-tonight-is-thanks-new-yorker-cartoon.jpg](http://imgc-cn.artprintimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/66/6698/EI8A100Z/posters/mike-twohy-the-takeaway-tonight-is-thanks-new-yorker-cartoon.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/55 "2015-11-27T16:37:50Z")
Two, which is an increase over previous years. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/56 "2015-11-27T17:31:22Z")
So just me and The Missus. I cooked all day, she watched some of her birthday present (_Wire In The Blood_ DVD set – Her birthday was Tuesday). And she tried to get her work computer to connect to their system (the IT guy was no help). After eating, she said she wished she had two stomachs. (She likes my cooking.) She _almost_ made it through a small piece of the sweet potato pie I baked, when she got a call from the answering service. She was the on-call nurse yesterday and had to go see a patient an hour round-trip away. She went to bed around 11:00, shortly after she got home. She has six patients today, and has to go to the office to get her computer fixed. I decided I’d log on and do some work today, even though I have the day off. ---
**Author:** ![GloryDays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GloryDays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GloryDays)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/57 "2015-11-27T19:20:20Z")
My family and I. A joyful day. Heavy turkey, fruits, wine. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/58 "2015-11-27T20:21:34Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > We are hosting a pot luck leftovers (bring your own; eat someone else’s) party on Saturday and are expecting 50. That sounds like it will be a ton o’ fun! Great idea. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/59 "2015-11-28T02:59:16Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Zero; it’s a buffet. A dozen+ on the den (I’m a guest, so I don’t know this year’s count.) 20⅔, or more accurately 6/9[sup]ths[/sup] …& one dog. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558/60 "2015-11-28T04:22:18Z")
Therewere 14 of us yesterday. On the gathering last Saturday, we were 32. The gathering tomorrow will likely have nine of us. I should be in a food coma come Sunday. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanksgiving-how-many-at-your-table/738558.md?page=2)