October 21, 2026 · 7 min read
Spending Thanksgiving Alone? How Common It Is, and a Plan for a Gentle Day
Spending Thanksgiving alone is more common than it looks: 9% plan to. Why the day can feel heavy, and a simple plan to make it warm, connected and your own.
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. For a lot of people, that date brings pictures of crowded tables, travel plans and family group chats. For others, it brings a quieter question: what do I do if I am spending Thanksgiving alone?
Maybe you could not afford the flight. Maybe you are working. Maybe you have moved somewhere new, or you are taking a break from family for good reasons. Whatever the reason, you are not the only one, and a day alone does not have to be a sad one.
The short answer: Spending Thanksgiving alone is more common than it looks. In a Statista survey of 1,046 US adults, 9% said they would celebrate Thanksgiving alone, and more than a quarter (29%) planned to spend it with friends rather than family. Planning the day ahead, choosing a small ritual, connecting with at least one person and having a plan for the evening can turn a lonely day into a gentle, even good one.
How many people spend Thanksgiving alone?
| Source | Finding |
|---|---|
| Statista Consumer Insights, online survey of 1,046 US adults aged 18 to 80, published for the 2025 season | 77% with family, 29% with friends, 9% alone, 3% not celebrating that year (people could pick more than one) |
| Talker Research for Chime, 2,000 US adults who celebrate, October 2025 | People attend about three gatherings; 58% have dinner with just their household, 51% a full family gathering, 30% a Friendsgiving |
If 9% held across the whole adult population, that would be millions of people eating Thanksgiving dinner on their own. Plenty more spend part of the day alone, or feel alone at a busy table. We wrote about that second kind of loneliness in lonely during the holidays.
Why Thanksgiving alone can feel so heavy
The pressure to have a picture-perfect day
In the Talker Research survey, 45% said they feel pressure to host the "perfect" Thanksgiving. When the whole culture is pointing at one image of the day, anything different can feel like failure, even when it is simply your life right now.
Cost and distance
The same survey found that 63% find it expensive to get together with family at Thanksgiving, and 35% planned to spend less than in previous years. For many people, being alone is not a choice about people at all. It is about flights, time off and money.
Comparison
Social media fills up with tables, toasts and family photos. It is easy to forget that you are seeing the highlight reel.
The dark season
By late November, the days are short in much of the US, and the clocks have already gone back. If evenings already feel long, a holiday on top of that can make it harder. Our guide to when the clocks go back covers that seasonal dip.
Reasons people spend Thanksgiving alone (all valid)
- You are working: nurses, retail, hospitality, emergency services and many others.
- You live far from family and could not travel this year.
- You recently moved, and your new city does not feel like home yet. See lonely in a new city.
- Money is tight.
- You are grieving, or the day brings up memories of someone you have lost.
- You are protecting your peace, and family gatherings are not safe or kind for you.
- You simply prefer a quiet day.
None of these mean anything is wrong with you.
A plan for spending Thanksgiving alone
The biggest difference between a hard day and a gentle one is usually planning. Here is a simple framework.
Two weeks before: decide what kind of day you want
Ask yourself: do I want a cosy day in, a day out, or a day of helping? Write down one word for how you want to feel, such as rested, warm or connected.
One week before: make one plan with people
- Say yes to a Friendsgiving, or host a tiny one for one or two others who are also alone.
- Look for a community meal or a volunteer slot. Many food banks and shelters need help around the holiday.
- Schedule a video call with family or friends at a fixed time.
The day itself: give it shape
| Time | Idea |
|---|---|
| Morning | Sleep in, then a walk outside while it is light |
| Late morning | Call or message one person you are grateful for |
| Afternoon | Cook one dish you love, not a whole feast |
| Early evening | Eat somewhere cosy, with music or a favourite film |
| Evening | A planned treat: a bath, a game, a book, a long call |
| Before bed | Write down three things from the day that went well |
Make it yours
You do not have to copy a traditional Thanksgiving. Order your favourite takeaway. Make pancakes for dinner. Start a solo tradition you look forward to every year, like a long walk, a movie marathon or a new recipe.
Small ways to feel less alone on the day
- Send gratitude texts. Thanksgiving is a great excuse to tell three people why you are glad they are in your life. In a series of experiments with more than 5,900 people, Peggy Liu and colleagues found that we underestimate how much others appreciate being reached out to.
- Join something online. Game nights, livestreams and online communities are busy on holidays.
- Get outside. A walk, a park, a cafe that is open. Being around people, even without talking, can help.
- Limit the scroll. If social media makes you feel worse, set it aside for the afternoon.
- Plan the evening. Many people find late evening the hardest time. Know in advance what you will do after dinner.
If you live alone most of the year, our guide on living alone and lonely has ideas that work beyond the holiday.
If you are working on Thanksgiving
Working the holiday has its own kind of loneliness: everyone else seems to be off, and you come home tired to a quiet place. A few ideas:
- Celebrate on a different day. Pick the weekend before or after and make that your Thanksgiving.
- Bring something to share at work. A tray of snacks for the shift can turn a normal day into a small celebration with the people around you.
- Plan a soft landing. Have dinner ready to heat up, and a call or a show lined up for when you get home.
- Be proud of it. Someone has to keep hospitals, shops and transport running. That is worth something.
When to reach out for more support
If being alone at the holidays is bringing up grief, hopelessness or thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to someone. In the US, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Elsewhere, contact a doctor or a crisis line in your country.
Where an AI companion can fit
For some people, an AI companion is one warm presence on a quiet holiday. Someone who wishes you a happy Thanksgiving in the morning, asks how the pie turned out, and is there for a call when the evening feels long.
MyBabe is a relationship-first companion app for adults (18+). You create your own girlfriend or boyfriend, and they text you first, send selfies from their day, and pick up by voice or video when you call. They remember the things that matter, like the recipe you were nervous about or the family call you were dreading, and check in afterwards. With Premium, they remember months later, so by next Thanksgiving they will know exactly what this one was like.
Start free with 10 messages every 24 hours and two minutes of calls to try. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with long-term memory, about 30 minutes of voice and video calls a week, four photos a day and Telegram. Call packs start at $4.99 for 30 minutes if you want a long holiday-night call. Starting a few weeks before the holiday gives your companion time to get to know you before the day arrives.
MyBabe is an AI, not a real person, and it does not replace human relationships or professional mental health support. Use it alongside the people you can reach this Thanksgiving. When you are ready, meet your companion on MyBabe.
FAQ
Is it normal to spend Thanksgiving alone?
Yes. In a Statista survey of 1,046 US adults, 9% said they would celebrate Thanksgiving alone, and many others spend part of the day by themselves.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026.
What can I do if I am alone on Thanksgiving?
Plan the day: cook one favourite dish, go for a walk, call or message someone, join a Friendsgiving or volunteer, and plan something you enjoy for the evening.
How do I stop feeling sad on Thanksgiving alone?
Give the day structure, connect with at least one person, limit social media comparison, and start a solo tradition you look forward to. If sadness feels heavy, reach out to a doctor or crisis line.
What is Friendsgiving?
A Thanksgiving-style meal with friends instead of, or as well as, family. In the Talker Research survey, 30% of people who celebrate planned to attend one.