Thanksgiving is one of the most loved holidays in the US and Canada, giving loved ones across the nation the opportunity to come together and give thanks. Many of us choose to go all out on this holiday, with tables full to the brim of delicious dishes and rooms full of decorations. While this is the perfect way to enjoy the special day, a lot of planning and preparation goes into hosting an event this special. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving for the first time or the fiftieth, a detailed checklist is sure to come in handy when planning the event — and with this guide, Denby has you covered.
We’ve created a thorough and easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to planning the big event, from six weeks prior to the day itself. Whether you’re throwing a traditional Thanksgiving for the family or a “Friendsgiving” with your chosen family, this guide will help you host an event your loved ones won’t forget. We’ve also created a printable Thanksgiving checklist to help you keep track of tasks during the lead-up to the holiday.
- When is Thanksgiving?
- Six weeks before
- Four weeks before
- One – two weeks before
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- On the day
When is Thanksgiving and how soon should you prepare for the holiday?
In the US, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, while in Canada the holiday is on the second Monday of October. For Thanksgiving 2023, the holiday falls on November 23rd in the US and October 9th in Canada. When it comes to preparing for the event, it’s a good idea to leave yourself plenty of time to make planning as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. In our Thanksgiving checklist, we’ve recommended that you start planning for the holiday six weeks prior to the big day.
Six weeks before
While six weeks prior to Thanksgiving may seem early to start planning the event, giving yourself ample time will make the lead-up feel much less rushed, allowing you to enjoy the build-up to the day itself. Here are the first few tasks to tick off your Thanksgiving checklist.
Deciding your guestlist
Creating a guestlist is a good place to start when it comes to planning Thanksgiving, as it will give you a good idea of how much food to budget for and allow you to prepare for everybody’s dietary requirements. If you have a large guestlist, this will also give you time to buy extra plates, bowls, and glassware if necessary.
While it is a lovely idea to have as many of your loved ones at your Thanksgiving event as possible, remember to be realistic when it comes to the space you have in your home. Hosting Thanksgiving can be a really fun experience, but it can also be a lot of hard work, especially if it is your first time. Decide the maximum number of guests to invite to reduce the pressure on yourself and to make sure all your guests have enough space to relax.
When it comes to deciding who to invite, this is completely your choice. The holiday is traditionally spent with family, but in recent years many of us have used the event to give thanks to our chosen family by spending time with friends. There are no right or wrong answers here!
Sending the invites
Once you’ve decided on who to add to your guestlist, the next step on your Thanksgiving checklist is sending out the invites. With six weeks' notice, you should give your invitees plenty of time to get back to you, allowing you enough time to plan your menu. If you’re looking for an easy way to do this, you could simply send a group email to your invitees. For those looking to get their guests even more excited about the big day, a fall-themed evite is sure to impress your guests.
Information to include on your invites includes:
- Timings: The time guests can arrive from and the time you plan on serving your Thanksgiving dinner
- Location: Your full address and the parking situation at your home
- What to bring: Make it clear if you are planning a potluck style Thanksgiving dinner, or you’d rather guests just bring themselves
- Plus ones: If you are happy for your guests to bring a plus one, make this clear on your invitation
- Questions: As well as asking guests whether they can make it, you should also ask if they have any dietary restrictions
Ask guests to respond no later than four weeks from the big day, as this is when the next stage of your planning will start.
Four weeks before
After a week’s break of Thanksgiving planning, this is the week you’ll get back into the swing of things by making a number of important decisions about the big day.
Choosing your theme
A traditional Thanksgiving dinner is sure to go down well with your guests and is a great way to celebrate the day. However, for those looking to do something a little different this year, you may want to consider incorporating some sort of theme to add something new to the event. There are plenty of different ways to celebrate the holiday, and we’ve got a whole guide on non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner ideas and themes. If you’re looking for even more inspiration, here are some other ideas you could give a go:
- International: Go around the world with your Thanksgiving spread by taking cooking dishes from a range of different countries. You could even try putting an international twist on Thanksgiving classics, such as making Italian green beans with breadcrumbs and parmesan, or replacing your traditional turkey with Pavo Navideño, a Mexican-style turkey dish
- Football: If you or your loved ones are sports fanatics, football is no doubt a big part of Thanksgiving. So, why not incorporate it as a part of the day by making it your theme? You could create football decorations and encourage guests to come in their team’s jersey.
- Cozy: As a fall holiday, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to enjoy getting cozy indoors. Create a cozy theme by having pajamas and slippers as the dress code and setting up a hot chocolate station.
- Formal: Alternatively, if you want to use your turn hosting Thanksgiving as a chance to get dressed up, you can give your event a formal theme. Encourage guests to come in their best formal outfits and turn your Thanksgiving dinner into a fine dining experience with a three-course meal.
Planning Thanksgiving dinner
The dinner is the main event on Thanksgiving Day, so it’s a good idea to spend plenty of time planning the perfect menu. While deciding on your menu, you should also make a note of all the ingredients you need for each dish to save you time when buying your holiday groceries.
Whether you’re going traditional or basing your holiday meal plan on a unique, exciting theme, the ideas below are sure to give you the inspiration you need for your Thanksgiving dinner checklist.
The main event
It’s called “turkey day” for a reason — this meaty main course is what many of us most closely associate with Thanksgiving! A classic Thanksgiving turkey is seasoned with sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley, and filled with stuffing. If you’re looking for alternative ways to enjoy your turkey this year, there are many more recipes to try out. Making a Cajun turkey is a great way to put a Louisiana twist on your main course, while a lemon and herb rub gives the dish a delicious citrussy taste. Another popular way to enjoy turkey which you may not have considered before is wrapping it in bacon to make an even meatier main.
Of course, just because turkey is traditional, this doesn’t mean it has to be the star of the show. There are many other meaty main courses to try out, as well as some mouth-watering vegetarian and vegan options. Below are just a few of the turkey alternatives to try when hosting Thanksgiving:
- Roast chicken with your choice of flavorings
- Pork chops
- Brisket
- Honey glazed ham
- Honey glazed salmon
- Cauliflower steaks
- Mushroom pot pie
- Vegan meatloaf
- Butternut squash wellington
- Stuffed pumpkin
Sides dishes
The sides are just as important a part of Thanksgiving dinner as the main, and with plenty to choose from you shouldn’t struggle for inspiration when planning your menu. Classic sides to add to your menu include mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sage and onion stuffing, mac and cheese, cornbread, dinner rolls, honey glazed carrots, and cranberry sauce. You could also add some more unique small dishes to complement your main course, such as:
- Cauliflower stuffing
- Mashed pumpkin
- Honey glazed sweet potatoes
- Garlic roasted mushrooms
- Butternut squash and potato gratin
- Savory stuffed apples
- Cranberry and whipped feta dip
Desserts
The food doesn’t end after your main meal, as there are plenty of delicious desserts to be enjoyed on Thanksgiving. These include a variety of traditional holiday sweet treats, such as sweet potato pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple pie, as well as some less common desserts, such as cinnamon and orange cake, pumpkin spice crème brulee, caramel and apple cake, and maple and sweet potato Bundt cake.
Drinks
Don’t forget to complete your Thanksgiving dinner checklist with some tasty holiday drinks. There are plenty of warming fall drinks to enjoy on the holiday, such as warm apple cider, and you’ll likely be offering a selection of wines and beers to your guests. For those looking to go the extra mile with their Thanksgiving hosting duties, you could also try whipping up a few of the cocktail and drink recipes below:
- Ginger and apple Moscow mule
- Cranberry gin spritz
- Spiced cranberry punch
- Mulled wine
- Pumpkin spiced eggnog
If you’re looking for even more inspiration, we have a fantastic selection of festive cocktail recipes to try out.
One – two weeks before
As you get closer to the big day, preparing for Thanksgiving steps up another notch. Below are the tasks you should tick off your checklist one to two weeks before Thanksgiving Day.
Do a food and equipment inventory
It’s a good idea to check you have everything you need to prepare and serve your dishes two weeks in advance to give you enough time to order more in if necessary. Check you have the cooking utensils you need, such as cookware, measuring spoons, whisks, vegetable peelers, and all the other kitchen essentials. You should also make sure you have enough bowls, plates, drinkware, and glassware for the number of guests attending, as well as ample serveware, like serving platters and sugar bowls. If you need a large amount of new dining and serving products, you may want to invest in sets of dinnerware or serveware.
You will already have a list of ingredients you need for preparing your Thanksgiving dinner from planning your menu, so make sure to make use of this by checking which of the ingredients you already have in stock. Not only does this prevent you from overspending on unessential products, but it saves storage space in your cupboards which may well be at a premium with the influx of Thanksgiving essentials.
Choosing your décor
The right Thanksgiving décor can really elevate the day and make it feel more like an event. So, take time to consider how to decorate your home and purchase all the necessary goods. This may be inspired by your chosen theme, or simply be fall colors and décor. We’ve got a guide on Thanksgiving table décor ideas which are sure to give you the inspiration you’re looking for with designing your tablescape. As well as setting the table, you may want to consider decorating the room further with Thanksgiving-inspired bunting, a fall wreath, a cornucopia, and seasonal flower arrangements displayed in stylish ceramic vases. You should also decide whether you are going to craft any of these decorations yourself. This is a good option for particularly creative individuals, and can be a great way to get the kids involved in the Thanksgiving preparations as well. If you do choose to go down the DIY route, make sure you have all the craft supplies you need in advance.
Preparing entertainment
The food will no doubt be the main event of the day, but you may also want to consider preparing some entertainment for your guests while they wait for their meal. Simply playing board games or going on a brisk fall walk can be great for keeping both adults and kids entertained. If you’re looking for something more in the spirit of the holiday, here are a few Thanksgiving activities to enjoy on the day:
- Create a Thanksgiving-themed quiz
- Craft Thanksgiving-themed placemats
- Make a gratitude jar
- Have a game of Thanksgiving-themed Pictionary
- Watch the parade
- Watch the football
Buy your nonperishable Thanksgiving food
You can also use the week or so before the event as an opportunity to avoid rushing around the grocery store to buy as many of your ingredients as possible. While fresher ingredients will need to be purchased closer to the time, this is a great time to buy your cupboard ingredients, beverages, and frozen produce.
Monday
Now it’s the week of your Thanksgiving hosting experience you may start to feel the pressure more. But by following your Thanksgiving checklist and staying on top of each task, the planning process should run smoothly to give you plenty of time to enjoy the lead up to the big day.
Clean your home
Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving for your friends or family, you’ll no doubt want to show your home in the best light as possible on the day. So use the Monday before the holiday as an opportunity to make sure your home is spick and span. Make sure to pay close attention to the dining area, and if you have guests staying over, the guest bedrooms.
You may want to add a few special touches around the home to leave a good impression, such as a scented candle in the bathroom or a beautiful floral arrangement displayed in a stylish ceramic jug in the hallway.
Prepare your kitchen
While cleaning your kitchen, it’s also a good idea to thoroughly organize your fridge and freezer. You will have a lot of ingredients and dishes coming in and out of them over the next few days, and probably plenty of leftovers to store too. By organizing the space and making the most of your storage containers you can optimize space to make it much easier to find what you need in no time.
Buy your fresh Thanksgiving food
Monday is the ideal time to buy your fresh groceries in time for Thanksgiving. As well as being close enough to the day itself to stay fresh, it also leaves you enough time to prepare dishes ahead of the event. Plus, by buying them a few days prior you are giving yourself a chance to check you have everything you need, allowing yourself a last-minute trip to the store if necessary.
Prepare ice
A small but essential Thanksgiving tip, many households forget about preparing ice until it’s too late. Prepare plenty of ice in advance for cocktails, soft drinks, and other beverages to keep drinks cool and refreshing on the day and give yourself one less thing to worry about on Thursday.
Tuesday
With just a couple of days of preparation left, the Tuesday before your Thanksgiving hosting duties is the perfect time to narrow down the finer details of the day, as well as get your dining room ready for the event.
Preparing the table and decorating
Some people choose to set the table the evening before the big day, but if you’d rather spend that time relaxing before your hosting duties, Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to tick this task of the list. However, you may want to leave the plates, bowls, and glassware until the big day to avoid them gathering dust. This is also a great time to decorate the rest of your home, such as putting up your fall wreath and festive bunting.
Create a cooking schedule
No Thanksgiving plan is complete without a thorough cooking schedule. Working out the timings and temperatures for each of your dishes allows you to stay on top of cooking and make sure that you serve the meal at the time stated on your invites. You may also want to set labelled alarms on your phone while doing this so nothing slips through the cracks on the busy day.
Wednesday
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the chance to do as much as you can before the big day to make hosting go as smoothly as possible. Use this day to do plenty of preparation and review your Thanksgiving to do list to make sure you haven’t missed any tasks.
Do a final check of the Thanksgiving planner
The morning before your hosting duties commence is the perfect time to review your thanksgiving checklist. If you have missed any tasks, this will give you enough time to complete them and also do a last-minute trip to the store if necessary.
Preparing your Thanksgiving dishes
By preparing as many of your dishes as possible the night before, you’ll give yourself more time to enjoy the day itself. There are a number of foods you can prepare before and simply heat up on the day, such as stuffing, green bean casserole, gravy, cranberry sauce, and most desserts. You can also prepare drinks and garnishes ahead of time, by cutting up any fruit you plan on using in cocktails and preparing your apple cider.
Make labels for your dishes
If you are having a large buffet style event, you may want to make labels for each of your dishes. This allows guests to see exactly what is in a dish, which is especially important for those with dietary requirements. If there are any allergens in your dishes, you should make this clear to your guests.
Brine the turkey
If your turkey hasn’t already been pre-brined, this is an important task for Wednesday evening. Brining will add more moisture and flavor to your turkey to make the meat as delicious as possible on the day. Brined turkeys also tend to cook quicker, saving you even more time on the day. Simply follow the steps below to prepare your succulent Thanksgiving turkey:
- Find a large food-safe container or brining container to hold the turkey and the brine solution. It's important that the turkey is fully submerged.
- In a large pot, heat enough water to submerge your turkey and add salt (one cup of salt per four quarts of water) and any herbs, spices, or other flavorings you desire. Heat until the salt dissolves.
- Let the brine solution cool to room temperature. You can also add ice cubes to speed up the cooling process.
- While it is cooling, take the turkey from its packaging and remove the giblets and neck.
- Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Place the turkey in the brining container or bag, breast side down, and pour the cooled brine solution over the turkey. Make sure the turkey is fully submerged.
- The brining time depends on the size of the turkey. A general guideline is to brine for about 1 hour per pound of turkey, but not less than 8 hours or more than 24 hours. You can place the container in the refrigerator during this time.
- After brining, carefully remove the turkey from the brine solution and discard the brine.
- Rinse the turkey thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt from the surface and the cavities.
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Let it air dry for a while to help the skin crisp up during roasting.
On the day
After six weeks of planning and preparation, you should feel prepared to step up on the big day and host an unforgettable Thanksgiving. While hosting the event can take up a lot of your time and energy, all the work you’ve done so far should allow you to take time to enjoy the day and celebrate the holiday with your loved ones.
Assigning roles
Whether you’re having a Thanksgiving with family or a Friendsgiving, your loved ones will no doubt want to help out as much as possible on the big day. And while all of your preparations will make the day run as smoothly as possible, you may still want a hand, especially if you're busy working on the food. Tasks you may want to assign to others could include:
- Greeting other guests and taking their coats
- Preparing drinks
- Watching the kids
- Keeping on top of cooking times
- Calling guests to the table
- Helping with the washing up
- Preparing leftovers for guests to take home or for yourself to store
Cooking your food
The main task of your day will no doubt be preparing and cooking your Thanksgiving meal. As you’ll have already prepared some of the dishes ahead of time, you may find that you’re mostly just heating or reheating food which should make the process a lot easier for you. Remember to keep a close eye on the timings to prevent food from burning and use alarms to keep on top of things.
If you’re serving traditional Thanksgiving turkey as your main, this will no doubt take the most time so ensure you get started on it early. You should also leave enough time to rest your turkey before carving — at least 30 minutes, but potentially up to 45 minutes for larger birds.
Serving up
Once your sides are cooked and your turkey is rested, it’s time to serve up for guests to enjoy! Carve the turkey and use serving sets to serve the food in style. If you’re using labels to let guests know what is in each dish, don’t forget to put these out along with the food.
Relax!
Once you’ve completed everything on your Thanksgiving planner and enjoyed your meal, it’s time to relax! Enjoy the remainder of the holiday spending quality time with loved ones, watching the game, and sharing what you're thankful for — such as hosting an unbeatable Thanksgiving for your nearest and dearest!
After reading this guide and using our Thanksgiving checklist, you should know how to host a Thanksgiving you and your loved ones won’t forget. By planning in advance and keeping on top of your to-do list, you can make preparing for and hosting the big day as straightforward as possible. Make sure to browse Denby’s selection of entertaining sets, bowls, plates, glassware, and serveware to enjoy Thanksgiving in style. We stock an array of products in fall colors ideal for the holiday, including a wide range of neutral and green dinnerware, which are perfect for both special occasions and everyday use.
And for even more hosting advice and inspiration check out the rest of our holiday hosting guides, including our guide to hosting Labor Day, Memorial Day and 4th of July.