How do people have the confidence and knowledge on how to give a toast on Thanksgiving Day? In favorite holiday movies, there’s always a scene where someone gives a heartfelt toast of gratitude and celebration. Wouldn’t it be special to bring that same thankful energy to your Thanksgiving table this year?
We promise it’s much more doable than you may be thinking, and who knows, perhaps you’ll be embarking on a new Thanksgiving tradition after you learn how to give a toast on Thanksgiving day!

In this article
What do You Say on Thanksgiving
Of course, going around the table and saying something you’re grateful for is a lovely tradition to keep going, but there are other answers to what do you say on Thanksgiving! Check out our brainstorming list of things you can say to express your gratitude on Thanksgiving.
- Share a new skill or knowledge you’ve learned; that’s something to be thankful for.
- Acknowledge the hardships you or your loved ones may have had this past year and how you’ve overcome those obstacles and are thankful for it.
- If someone new has come into your life and impacted you in a positive way, express the goodness they have brought to your life and your gratitude for them.
- Did you get to travel over the past year? Gaining new experiences, near, far, small, or big, is something to be thankful for!
- Whether a new adoption or an old family pet, being thankful for your furry companion never gets old!
- Have you overcome something big in the past year, or are you thankful that you’re not the same person you were a year or five years ago? Give thanks for your personal growth and gratitude to those who have stuck by your side!
How To Give a Toast on Thanksgiving
Do you want to achieve that perfect toast-giving moment with no awkward snags or hesitation? Take note of our pointers on how to give a toast on Thanksgiving day to help you prepare and have confidence in your Thanksgiving toast.
- There’s so many things to be thankful for, but you don’t want to drag out your toast. Keep your Thanksgiving toast on the short side, and everyone will be on board!
- Politely ask for everyone’s attention; people may have their minds on the meal or further plans for the day, so in asking politely you won’t be brushing people at the dinner table the wrong way.
- Want to give your toast before dinner starts? Coordinate with the host of the dinner to set a time where you’ll give your Thanksgiving toast before everyone digs in!
- Make everyone present feel included in your Thanksgiving toast. You can do this by making sure that you look at everyone at least once while giving your toast, and by simply using words like everyone and all of us.
- Have a balance of love, humor, and kindness sprinkled in with your gratitude-filled toast. This can be as simple as throwing in a small family inside joke or a classic pun, and don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and let your loved ones know how special they are and that they are very cared for.

How do you Say Thank You for Thanksgiving Dinner
Not only is it tradition on Thanksgiving to show your thanks, but it’s good for the soul! So, how do you say thank you for Thanksgiving dinner? Let’s take a look at a few different ways you can express your gratitude to the hosts of the Thanksgiving dinner you’ll attend.
- There’s nothing like a big hug and a sweet thank you for the heart, and you can also accompany this by bringing a small dessert for the hosts!
- A few weeks, or a week at minimum, before Thanksgiving reach out to the hosts and ask if there’s anything you can pick up or bring for the dinner. As a bonus, also send a quick message the morning of Thanksgiving because you never know if there’s a need for an emergency cranberry sauce run! This can be a big gesture for someone who has the big responsibility of Thanksgiving dinner.
- A bouquet of fall colored flowers with a sweet quote or message attached can bring not only a warm feeling to the receivers heart, but also a beautiful decoration to the celebration! Be sure to cut the stems and water the flowers yourself though, you don’t want to give the hosts another job to do.
- Delivering a card the day of Thanksgiving, or sending it the day after, with a thoughtful and loving message of gratitude inside can be the perfect way to bring a smile to someone’s face. Checkout the section below for card inspiration!

Thankful Quotes for Thanksgiving Cards
There’s a timelessness to the gift of a card with a touching message inside as a gesture of your gratitude. Take a look through these thankful quotes for Thanksgiving cards and get your thankfulness muscle moving and your sweet words flowing. You can also use one of these quotes to decorate the back of the envelope the card is in or use a quote to end your card’s message.
Plus, there’s a bonus to mailing out your Thanksgiving Thank You card; who doesn’t love to receive fun mail instead of boring bills or junk!
- “Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” -A.A. Milne, Author of Winnie-the-Pooh
- “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey
- “Great things happen to those who don’t stop believing, trying, learning, and being grateful.” -Roy T. Bennett
- “At the end of the day what really matter is that your loved ones are well, you’ve done your best and that you’re thankful for all you have.” -Anonymous
- “There are only two ways to live your life: nothing is a miracle or everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einsein
- “Once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.” -Germany Kent
- “Gratitude helps you fall in love with the life you already have.” -Anonymous
- “I am thankful for all the different ways to eat potatoes.” -Jane
- “True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.” -Seneca
- “Rest and be thankful.” -William Wordsworth
- “Take a step back today. Look at all those beautiful things you have.” -Unknown
- “The more grateful I am, the more beautiful I see.” -Mary Davis
- “Remember, being happy doesn’t mean you have it all. It simply means you’re thankful for all you have.” -Unknown
- “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
- “Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life.” –Jack Canfield
- “A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.” -Unknown
- “This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen it before.” -Maya Angelou
- “Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” -Eckhart Tolle
- “For all you do, for who you are, I will be forever grateful you are in my life.” -Anonymous
- “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” -Marcel Proust

Feeling pumped up with the thankfulness spirit? Take that gratitude-filled energy and go forth to practice and write the perfect thanks for your special celebration with the people you love. And now that you know how to give a toast on Thanksgiving day, perhaps you can be a mentor for someone else down the line.