4 Thanksgiving Dinner Habits South Carolinians Say Have Gone Too Far

Thanksgiving is Nov. 26, and you already know which relative is going to ask when you’re getting married.

An etiquette expert has a move for that, and it starts with a question of your own.

Here are the Thanksgiving dinner habits South Carolinians say have gone too far.

1. Phones at the Table

Phones at the Thanksgiving table annoy nearly 7 in 10 Americans, according to a 2019 survey of 1,461 people by the Iowa marketing agency Meyocks.

Still, 32% of the people surveyed admit they pick up a device at the table too.

The Emily Post Institute tells you to put your cell phone away at the dinner table.

A text or a score can wait until you’ve pushed back from your chair.

Your fantasy team will survive.

2. Political Arguments

Political arguments have ruined at least one Thanksgiving for 13% of Americans who usually celebrate, according to a 2022 Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adult citizens.

Many guests say the relative who keeps the debate going between the turkey and the pie has gone too far.

Yours may be nearby.

In a Dec. 1, 2025, poll of 1,233 adults, 8% said political arguments had broken out at their celebration.

Etiquette advice is to avoid controversial topics throughout the day and save harder conversations for another time.

3. Nosy Questions

Nagging about engagements, marriage and children can be common at Thanksgiving dinner, according to a 2025 report from The National News Desk.

Daniel Post Senning of the Emily Post Institute advises you to turn the question around and ask someone else what they think.

Then pass the rolls.

4. Critiquing the Food

The same National News Desk report says comments about the Thanksgiving food, from the ingredients to how unhealthy a dish is, can deflate the holiday spirit.

Remarks about how much or how little someone eats can offend the host the same way.

A 2019 Harris Poll of 2,023 U.S. adults found 68% dislike a classic Thanksgiving dish but eat it anyway out of tradition.

Canned cranberry sauce topped the list of those dishes at 29%.

You're in good company.

Green bean casserole came in second at 24%.

If you wince at the green bean casserole, keep that review to yourself.

TV and the Game

Etiquette expert Daniel Post Senning says holiday meals are the one time it's best to turn the television off.

He calls the meal an important social ritual where people like to give each other their focus.

The game itself isn't the problem.

Watching a game after a big meal can be a way for you to unwind together.

In a Nov. 2024 Pew Research Center survey of 9,609 U.S. adults, 35% said they were extremely or very likely to watch sports on Thanksgiving.

Kickoff comes after pie.

The Table by the Numbers

The same Pew survey found 35% of U.S. adults extremely or very likely to talk about work or school on Thanksgiving.

Another 26% expect the election to come up, and 24% expect to talk about pop culture like music or movies.

About 74% of Americans planned to have Thanksgiving dinner with other people, the survey found.

The survey also found 38% of Americans prefer a late-afternoon Thanksgiving dinner, and 36% prefer early afternoon.

Only 11% prefer an evening dinner after 6 p.m.

In the South and Midwest, Americans are more likely to prefer an early-afternoon Thanksgiving dinner.

Around a quarter of U.S. adults (26%) expect more than 10 other people at their dinner.

At a table that size, a rude comment from you has a big audience.

In the survey, 69% said someone at their dinner typically says things they're thankful for.

Another 65% said someone at their dinner typically says a prayer or blessing.

Gratitude makes an easy topic.

Rules for Hosts

The Emily Post Institute's Thanksgiving tips page tells you, as a host, to serve and seat young children and the elderly first.

It also describes a signal called Family Hold Back (FHB) that your immediate family can use if a main dish runs low.

It's a polite code.

The page also tells you to review the guest list with everyone in your household.

The same page tells hosts to give guests jobs, from greeting people and taking coats to setting the table.

It also says to thank everyone who helped plan, cook and clean up, both in a toast and on their way out the door.

A separate 2024 guide tells hosts to accept offers to accommodate special diets.

What Hosts Admit

In the 2019 Harris Poll, 80% of U.S. adults said they have hosted a Thanksgiving dinner.

Among them, 21% admit they have pretended to enjoy hosting.

Separately, 17% say they have regretted offering to host.

Of those who have hosted, 74% needed two or more grocery store trips to get all of the ingredients.

Pie is nearly universal, with 94% of Americans eating it on Thanksgiving.

Even so, 14% of Americans admit to serving a store-bought pie and passing it off as homemade.

Thank your host.

Helping After Dinner

Offer to take the cleanup off your host's hands.

Etiquette expert Myka Meier told TODAY it's fine for you to help in the kitchen, even by taking plates to the table.