20 Traditions US Presidents Keep on Thanksgiving

Following Thanksgiving Day, presidents like Barack Obama turned Small Business Saturday into a regular ritual. First Families visit locally owned bookshops and neighborhood cafes across Washington, D.C., buying books and holiday gifts to highlight community retailers.

Long before guests sit down, presidents and first ladies tour the bustling White House ground floor kitchens. Records from Pat Nixon in 1970 and later administrations show leaders greeting executive chefs, tasting sauces, and thanking the culinary team for holiday service.

Thanksgiving downtime offers rare opportunities for presidential recreation. Dwight Eisenhower practiced his chip shots on the South Lawn, John F. Kennedy organized family touch football scrimmages, and modern presidents often squeeze in eighteen holes before dinner.

Like millions of American families, White House residents settle in for traditional Thanksgiving NFL broadcasts. From Richard Nixon diagramming plays to Gerald Ford cheering college rivalries, football has long provided commanders-in-chief with a relatable holiday escape.

Beginning Thanksgiving with a prayer service remains an enduring custom. Presidents regularly walk across Lafayette Square to attend morning worship at St. John's Episcopal Church, dedicating the start of the holiday to spiritual reflection and gratitude.

Because Thanksgiving is primarily treated as an intimate gathering, presidents routinely open the executive table to staff members unable to travel home. Longtime family friends, Secret Service details, and personal aides frequently join the first family for dinner.

While the nation rests, emergency personnel remain on duty. Modern presidents make unannounced stops at local Washington firehouses or send handwritten notes and holiday pies to nearby emergency workers, thanking them for sacrificing family time to protect citizens.

Holiday duties begin immediately after Thanksgiving dinner. The official White House Christmas tree arrives by horse-drawn carriage at the North Portico, where the First Lady inspects the massive evergreen before staff begin decorating the executive staterooms.

Presidents bring unique regional palates to the White House table. Jimmy Carter notably replaced green peas with green beans in 1977, while the Obama family added spicy chorizo cornbread stuffing and six varieties of pie alongside traditional roast turkey.

Beyond public ceremonies, presidents embrace the domestic tradition of carving the family bird. Archival photographs from Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 capture the commander-in-chief slicing turkey at the table, balancing global leadership with everyday family life.

Commanders-in-chief often spend Thanksgiving morning at domestic posts like Fort Campbell or Marine Corps Base Quantico. Walking through dining halls, presidents scoop potatoes, shake hands, and thank service members and their families for their dedicated military service.

The presidential retreat in Maryland provides a rustic escape from the political glare of Washington. First Families from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush have chosen Camp David for quiet woodland walks, casual fireside dining, and private family holidays.

Many commanders-in-chief prefer their private family estates over the White House. John F. Kennedy celebrated in Hyannis Port, Ronald Reagan spent holidays chopping wood at Rancho del Cielo, and Donald Trump traditionally gathers relatives at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt's radio fireside chats, presidents use Thanksgiving morning to address the American people. Broadcast across television and digital networks, these speeches call for common unity, mutual kindness, and gratitude for national blessings.

Before sitting down to dinner, presidents spend holiday mornings placing secure calls to deployed units across every military branch. These personal conversations allow commanders-in-chief to thank service members stationed far from home for their courage and sacrifice.

Presidents and First Families frequently spend the Wednesday before Thanksgiving volunteering at urban food pantries. Leaders including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden have packed distribution crates and ladled gravy in Washington soup kitchens.

When staying in the capital, First Families gather in the historic State Dining Room beneath the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Executive chefs prepare a lavish feast featuring Virginia oysters, cranberry preserves, roasted sweet potatoes, and traditional autumn delicacies.

Commanders-in-chief have repeatedly risked security to visit troops in war zones. George W. Bush stunned soldiers in Baghdad in 2003, while Barack Obama and Donald Trump made unannounced trips to Afghanistan, personally serving Thanksgiving turkey on military mess lines.

George Washington signed the first national Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln formalized the annual autumn date in 1863. Every modern commander-in-chief continues this solemn legal duty, urging Americans to pause and give thanks for liberty.

Formalized by George H.W. Bush in 1989, the presidential turkey pardon grants two birds clemency from the dinner table. Broadcast live worldwide, the event pairs presidential humor with American folklore before the spared turkeys retire peacefully to university farms.