• 99 topics

Thanksgiving Debate Topics

Arguments worth having over dinner, none of them about the news.

Thanksgiving Debate Topics

Should every pie get a lattice or a decorated top?

Read it out, then tap Yes or No for every raised hand.

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All 99 topics

Turkey and sides 24

  • Are lumpy mashed potatoes better than smooth ones? A) Yes. Lumps prove a real potato was involved. B) No. Smooth is the whole idea of mashing.
  • Are the side dishes better than the turkey? A) Yes. Ask anyone what they go back for. It is never the turkey. B) No. The turkey is why the sides showed up at all.
  • Do Brussels sprouts deserve a spot on the table? A) Yes. Roasted until crisp, they win people over. B) No. Every table has one dish nobody asked for. This is it.
  • Do marshmallows belong on sweet potatoes? A) Yes. Toasted on top, they are the reason kids try the dish. B) No. That is dessert that wandered onto the dinner plate.
  • Does a salad belong at Thanksgiving dinner? A) Yes. Something crisp and cold is a relief between the heavy dishes. B) No. It takes up room that could hold stuffing.
  • Does canned cranberry sauce beat homemade? A) Yes. The ridges, the slices, the wobble. It is a tradition of its own. B) No. Real berries taste like fruit, not like the can.
  • Is cornbread better than a dinner roll at this meal? A) Yes. Sweet, crumbly and made for butter. B) No. A roll holds together when the gravy arrives.
  • Is dark meat better than white meat? A) Yes. Juicier, richer and never dry. B) No. White meat slices clean and is made for the gravy.
  • Is green bean casserole worth its place on the table? A) Yes. Creamy and crunchy on top, it is the only green thing anyone finishes. B) No. It is there from habit. Count who takes seconds.
  • Is ham a fair swap for turkey? A) Yes. Easier to cook, hard to dry out and better cold. B) No. Ham has its own holidays. This one is taken.
  • Is it still stuffing if it never went inside the turkey? A) Yes. The recipe makes it stuffing, not the address. B) No. Nothing was stuffed. Call it dressing and pass the bowl.
  • Is it still Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey? A) Yes. The day is about the table and who is at it. B) No. Without the bird it is a nice dinner on a Thursday.
  • Is mac and cheese a Thanksgiving side? A) Yes. If the table is happy to see it, it belongs. B) No. It is welcome all year. Today is for dishes that only come once.
  • Is stuffing the best side dish? A) Yes. Bread, butter and herbs. It is the taste of the whole day. B) No. Mashed potatoes hold the gravy, and the gravy is the point.
  • Is the bread roll the most underrated thing on the table? A) Yes. It mops the plate and makes tomorrow's sandwich. B) No. It is bread. Everything else took all day.
  • Is the drumstick the best piece of the turkey? A) Yes. It comes with a handle and tastes like the whole bird. B) No. There are only two, and the best piece should feed more people.
  • Is the second plate better than the first? A) Yes. You know what is good now, so you take only that. B) No. Nothing beats the first bite of a meal you waited all day for.
  • Is the wishbone tradition worth keeping? A) Yes. Two people, one pull and a wish. It costs nothing. B) No. One person wins and one sulks. The pie is a better prize.
  • Should every dish on the table be homemade? A) Yes. It is the one meal a year people cook from scratch for each other. B) No. A tired cook is worse for the day than a store-bought pie.
  • Should gravy go on everything on the plate? A) Yes. It ties the plate together. That is its job. B) No. Rolls and cranberry sauce have done nothing to deserve it.
  • Should the mashed potatoes have a well for the gravy? A) Yes. A crater keeps the gravy where it belongs. B) No. Pour it over the top and let the plate sort it out.
  • Should the menu be exactly the same every year? A) Yes. The meal is a tradition. You do not edit a tradition. B) No. One new dish a year is how the favorites got there.
  • Should the turkey be carved at the table? A) Yes. The whole bird, the knife, the audience: it is a moment. B) No. Carve it in the kitchen. It is neater, and dinner stays hot.
  • Should you take a little of everything, even the dish you do not like? A) Yes. Someone made it. A spoonful is good manners. B) No. Leave it for the people who love it.

Pie and dessert 15

  • Does pie need whipped cream? A) Yes. Pumpkin pie without it is only half dressed. B) No. A good pie stands on its own.
  • Is a store-bought pie as welcome as a homemade one? A) Yes. Pie is pie. The guest who brings one is a hero. B) No. You can taste the difference, and so can the whole table.
  • Is apple pie a Thanksgiving pie? A) Yes. Apples are a fall fruit, and nobody has ever turned down a slice. B) No. Apple pie has the rest of the year. November is for pumpkin.
  • Is it fine to take a thin slice of every pie? A) Yes. It is the only way to give a fair verdict. B) No. Four thin slices is a big dessert pretending to be small.
  • Is pie for breakfast the next morning the best slice? A) Yes. Cold from the fridge, with no line and no one watching. B) No. The best slice is the first, with everyone at the table.
  • Is pumpkin pie better than pecan pie? A) Yes. Smooth, spiced and the color of the season. B) No. Pecan has the crunch, and nobody calls it a vegetable.
  • Is the pie the real main event? A) Yes. Dinner is the long road. Pie is where everyone was going. B) No. Nobody travels across the country for a dessert.
  • Should dessert wait an hour after dinner? A) Yes. Give the pie a fair chance. Nobody has room yet. B) No. Wait an hour and half the table is asleep.
  • Should every pie get a lattice or a decorated top? A) Yes. A pie that looks that good gets cut first. B) No. The filling is what matters. Save the time.
  • Should pie be served warm? A) Yes. Warm pie smells like the kitchen it came from. B) No. Pumpkin pie is meant to be cool and set.
  • Should pumpkin pie be eaten all year? A) Yes. If it is that good, why wait for November? B) No. Having it once a year is what makes it taste like the holiday.
  • Should the baker get the first slice? A) Yes. They made it. They should find out first how it came out. B) No. The first slice always falls apart. Give the baker a clean one.
  • Should the last slice be saved for the cook? A) Yes. The cook was too busy serving to get a fair share. B) No. An unclaimed slice at midnight is fair game.
  • Should the pies stay hidden until dessert? A) Yes. The reveal is half the pleasure. B) No. Seeing them all afternoon is what gets people through dinner.
  • Should there be a dessert that is not pie? A) Yes. Not everyone likes pie, and a table should have a choice. B) No. It is the one day pie gets the stage. Let it have it.

Table rules 20

  • Are paper plates fine for Thanksgiving dinner? A) Yes. No dishes means more time with the family. B) No. A paper plate folds under gravy.
  • Is a buffet line better than passing dishes around the table? A) Yes. Everything stays hot, and the table has room for elbows. B) No. Passing the bowls is how a table starts talking.
  • Is a centerpiece worth the table space? A) Yes. It makes the table look like a holiday. B) No. The space could hold another bowl of stuffing.
  • Is fourteen too old for the kids' table? A) Yes. A teenager has earned a seat with the adults. B) No. The kids' table is more fun, and the little ones need a leader.
  • Is Thanksgiving better with a crowd than with a small table? A) Yes. More people means more dishes, more stories and more noise. B) No. At a small table you actually talk to everyone.
  • Should every guest bring a dish? A) Yes. Many hands make a feast, and the host gets to enjoy the day. B) No. Three guests bring rolls and nobody brings potatoes.
  • Should everyone say what they are thankful for before eating? A) Yes. It is the one moment that makes the meal Thanksgiving. B) No. Being put on the spot is hard, and the food is getting cold.
  • Should everyone wait until the whole table is seated before eating? A) Yes. It is one meal eaten together. Start together. B) No. Hot food does not wait, and the cook will say dig in.
  • Should phones stay in another room during dinner? A) Yes. It is one meal. Everyone can be here for it. B) No. Someone has to take the photo, and far-off family will call.
  • Should seats be assigned? A) Yes. The host knows who should not sit by the gravy, or by each other. B) No. Let people sit where they are comfortable.
  • Should second helpings wait until everyone has had firsts? A) Yes. Fair is fair, and the slow eaters get their share. B) No. If it is on the table, it is there to be eaten.
  • Should Thanksgiving dinner have a dress code? A) Yes. Dressing up tells the cook that the meal matters. B) No. It is a day for comfort and stretchy waistbands.
  • Should the cook get the first plate? A) Yes. They have smelled it for hours and earned it. B) No. The cook serves the guests first and sits down proud.
  • Should the cooks be let off the dishes? A) Yes. They did the first half. Someone else does the second. B) No. Everyone clears together and it is done in ten minutes.
  • Should the good dishes come out, even with kids at the table? A) Yes. Plates are meant to be used, and this is the day for them. B) No. One dropped plate and the host worries all through dinner.
  • Should the head of the table go to the cook, not to the oldest person? A) Yes. The seat of honor goes to whoever made the day happen. B) No. The eldest has sat there for years. That is the tradition.
  • Should the host set topics that are off limits at the table? A) Yes. One ground rule saves the whole afternoon. B) No. Adults can steer a conversation without a list.
  • Should the TV be off during dinner? A) Yes. The meal took all day to make. Give it a quiet room. B) No. The game in the background is part of the sound of the day.
  • Should the youngest at the table be served first? A) Yes. The smallest have waited the longest, as they see it. B) No. The oldest go first. That is how respect is taught.
  • Should there be a kids' table? A) Yes. Kids get to be loud, and the adults get to finish a sentence. B) No. One table is the point of the day. Squeeze in.

The plan for the day 21

  • Do too many cooks spoil the Thanksgiving kitchen? A) Yes. One oven, one plan, one person in charge. B) No. Ten dishes need more than two hands.
  • Does Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant still count? A) Yes. Nobody cooks, nobody cleans and everybody talks. B) No. Without the kitchen smells and the leftovers, it is a meal out.
  • Is a board game better than TV after dinner? A) Yes. Everyone plays, and the stories get told. B) No. After that meal nobody wants to learn the rules.
  • Is a family walk better than a nap after dinner? A) Yes. Fresh air makes room for dessert. B) No. The couch was calling before the plates were cleared.
  • Is a morning run a good Thanksgiving tradition? A) Yes. A cold start with friends, and everyone comes home hungry. B) No. It is a holiday. The only race is to the table.
  • Is football on TV part of the holiday? A) Yes. The game is a tradition for half the house. B) No. It splits the family into two rooms.
  • Is Friendsgiving as good as the family dinner? A) Yes. You choose the guests, the menu and the music. B) No. Family history is what gives the day its weight.
  • Is hosting Thanksgiving easier than traveling for it? A) Yes. You sleep in your own bed and control the menu. B) No. Guests bring a pie and go home. Hosts scrub pans.
  • Is it better to spend the day at one house than to split it between two? A) Yes. One table, one meal and no watching the clock. B) No. Two houses means both sides of the family get a visit.
  • Is it fine to leave right after dessert? A) Yes. The meal is over, and the hosts are tired too. B) No. The sitting around afterwards is half the holiday.
  • Is Thanksgiving the most relaxed holiday of the year? A) Yes. No gifts, no costumes. Just a meal. B) No. Ask the person who has been cooking since six in the morning.
  • Is the after-dinner nap the best part of the day? A) Yes. A full stomach, a soft couch and nowhere to be. B) No. Sleep through the afternoon and you miss the pie.
  • Is the morning parade on TV an essential part of the day? A) Yes. Balloons and marching bands mean the holiday has started. B) No. It is background noise while the real work goes on.
  • Is two in the afternoon the right time for Thanksgiving dinner? A) Yes. Eat early and there is time for pie, a walk and leftovers. B) No. A dinner belongs in the evening, when the day's work is done.
  • Should families take turns hosting each year? A) Yes. The work and the travel get shared out. B) No. The house with the biggest table should keep the job.
  • Should kids help cook the dinner? A) Yes. They are proud of the dish they made, and they eat it. B) No. The kitchen is hot and crowded, and time is short.
  • Should someone give a short speech before the meal? A) Yes. A few words mark the day and thank the cook. B) No. The food says it. Speeches make the gravy go cold.
  • Should Thanksgiving move from Thursday to Friday? A) Yes. A Friday gives a clean three-day weekend with no awkward gap. B) No. Thursday is the tradition, and Friday is the bonus day.
  • Should the day have a schedule? A) Yes. A plan gets the turkey and the guests there at the same time. B) No. The best Thanksgivings wander from snack to meal to nap.
  • Should the dishes wait until after dessert? A) Yes. Do not break up the table while people are still talking. B) No. Pie tastes better with a clean kitchen behind you.
  • Should the family photo be taken before anyone eats? A) Yes. Everyone is still neat, awake and in one place. B) No. Take it after, when people are relaxed and really smiling.

Leftovers and the weekend 19

  • Are the leftovers better than the dinner itself? A) Yes. Same food, no pressure, and you eat it in pajamas. B) No. The dinner had everyone at the table. The leftovers have a fridge light.
  • Do the leftovers belong to the host? A) Yes. The host bought it, cooked it and has to store it. B) No. Guests who brought dishes go home with a share.
  • Does the host deserve a thank-you note the next day? A) Yes. Two lines on paper for two days of work is a fair trade. B) No. A hug at the door and help with the dishes said it already.
  • Is cold stuffing a good breakfast? A) Yes. It is bread and herbs. That is close enough to toast. B) No. Breakfast should not need a nap after it.
  • Is it too early for Christmas music before Thanksgiving? A) Yes. Sleigh bells in early November wear the songs out. B) No. People who love it should press play whenever they like.
  • Is pie the best leftover? A) Yes. It needs no heating and no plate. B) No. Stuffing and gravy reheat better than anything.
  • Is shopping the day after Thanksgiving worth the crowds? A) Yes. The hunt with family or friends is an outing of its own. B) No. The same things can be bought from the couch.
  • Is the leftover turkey sandwich the best meal of the weekend? A) Yes. Turkey, stuffing and cranberry on a roll: the dinner in one hand. B) No. It is an echo. The real meal was on Thursday.
  • Is the long weekend better spent at home than on the road? A) Yes. Four quiet days are rare. Do not spend them in traffic. B) No. It is the one weekend the whole family can be reached.
  • Is the weekend after Thanksgiving better than the day itself? A) Yes. No cooking, no schedule and a fridge full of food. B) No. The day has the table. The weekend has the dishes.
  • Is turkey soup the best use of what is left? A) Yes. One pot uses the last of everything and warms the house. B) No. By Sunday nobody wants to see turkey in any form.
  • Should Christmas decorations wait until after Thanksgiving? A) Yes. One holiday at a time. The turkey deserves its turn. B) No. The season is short. Lights in mid-November hurt no one.
  • Should fall decorations stay up until December? A) Yes. Pumpkins and leaves have earned the whole of November. B) No. Once the plates are cleared, the season has turned.
  • Should leftovers be turned into new dishes? A) Yes. A pot pie or a hash makes day three feel like a new meal. B) No. They were perfect on Thursday. Just heat the plate.
  • Should shops stay closed on Thanksgiving Day? A) Yes. The people who work there have families and tables too. B) No. Somebody always forgets the butter.
  • Should Thanksgiving decorations get as much effort as Christmas ones? A) Yes. A holiday about home deserves a house that shows it. B) No. The table is the decoration.
  • Should the day after Thanksgiving be a day off for everyone? A) Yes. Travel, cleanup and family all need the Friday. B) No. Plenty of jobs cannot stop for four days.
  • Should the host send every guest home with a plate? A) Yes. It clears the fridge and stretches the holiday. B) No. The host cooked for days and has earned a week without cooking.
  • Should the tree go up the day after Thanksgiving? A) Yes. The family is together and the day is free. B) No. Give it a week. The house just hosted a feast.

How it works

These Thanksgiving debate topics are 99 friendly questions for the dinner table or a classroom, each with a first line for Yes and for No. They stay on the food, the table and the long weekend.

Read the full guide

The side dish debates

Turkey and sides has 24: Is stuffing the best side dish? Do marshmallows belong on sweet potatoes? Is it still stuffing if it never went inside the turkey? Pie and dessert has 15 more, led by Is pumpkin pie better than pecan pie?

House rules and the weekend after

Table rules has 20: Should there be a kids' table? Should the cooks be let off the dishes? The plan for the day has 21. Leftovers and the weekend has 19, down to when the decorations may go up: Should Christmas decorations wait until after Thanksgiving?

  • Whoever loses the vote clears one dish from the table.

Questions and answers

What are funny Thanksgiving debate topics?

Does canned cranberry sauce beat homemade? Is cold stuffing a good breakfast? Should the mashed potatoes have a well for the gravy? Is the after-dinner nap the best part of the day? All four split a table down the middle.

What are Thanksgiving debate topics for students?

Cards that need a rule and a reason: Should Thanksgiving move from Thursday to Friday? Should shops stay closed on Thanksgiving Day? Is it still Thanksgiving dinner without a turkey? In the United States the holiday is the fourth Thursday of November.

What can a family debate at Thanksgiving dinner without a fight?

Food and house rules. Every card here is about the plate, the pie, the seating, the day's plan or the leftovers, so the worst that can happen is a tied vote on dark meat.

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