Thanksgiving Costs and Travel Surge Shape Holiday Week

As Thanksgiving nears, families across the United States are preparing tables filled with classic dishes — roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Inflation has eased compared to recent years, but many shoppers still report feeling the pinch, with prices for turkey, produce, and baking ingredients slightly higher than last fall.

Travel is also expected to surge, with highways and airports bracing for one of the busiest holiday weeks of the year as millions set out to reunite with loved ones.

Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, traces its roots to early harvest traditions and a 17th-century feast shared by Pilgrims and Indigenous peoples. Today, it remains a day centered on gratitude, food, and togetherness — even if getting there costs a bit more.