Top Cities for Thanksgiving
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Orlando, Florida
- Denver, Colorado
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Irvine, California
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Chandler, Arizona
- Henderson, Nevada
- Mesa, Arizona
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Plano, Texas
- Miami, Florida
- Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Wichita, Kansas
- Oklahoma City
- Tulsa
Tulsa ranks as No. 67 and Oklahoma City No. 50 as the “Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving,” according to a study by WalletHub.com.
Tulsa is No. 94 for “Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions.” Tulsa is No. 12 in the nation for “affordability.” In the “safety and accessibility” category, Tulsa was No. 100. In terms of “giving thanks,” Tulsa is No. 72.
For Thanksgiving weather, Tulsa ranks as No. 49.
“Settlers of the Plymouth Colony and their Wampanoag tribe predecessors kicked off a grand tradition back in 1621. But the Thanksgiving we celebrate today is a lot different than that first festival in honor of a particularly bountiful harvest,” according to WalletHub.
The NFL’s three-game Thanksgiving slate earned nearly 79 million combined viewers last year. Americans spent more than $6.2 billion on Black Friday shopping – on top of the billions spent preparing for Thanksgiving itself.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 20 key factors. They range from cost of Thanksgiving dinner and share of delayed flights to volunteer opportunities per capita and forecasted precipitation.
Do people spend too much money at Thanksgiving?
“In my experience, Thanksgiving is about family and food (giving thanks), so I do not see any money-wasters at least as it pertains to my family,” said faculty member Elicia A. Brannon-Little at Southwestern Christian University. “We enjoy the time together and great tasting food.”
There are ways to economize.
“Drive for more cost efficiency or purchase plane tickets 30 days in advance to arrive days before the holiday and leave days after the holiday when there is less congestion in the airports or roadways,” Brannon-Little said.
“As for cost-effectiveness, traditional Thanksgiving dinner is by nature the most budget-friendly holiday meal,” said Matthew B. Cooper of Mott Community College. “Turkeys don’t have to be free-range organic birds that were only raised under banana-leaf umbrellas listening to classical music while being hand-fed organic corn and wheatgrass as long they are fresh and cooked properly.
“I prefer to brine my bird and roast it. I also like to buy two smaller birds as opposed to one giant bird to cut cooking time and have twice as many drumsticks. It’s best to purchase one pound of turkey per guest to account for about a 50% yield and give you a few great leftovers for the weekend.”
Guests can help ease the cost of dinner.
“The most cost-effective way to put on a feast for a crowd is to take your guests up on their offer to bring something,” said Jennifer Loiacana of Elgin Community College. “The host is already opening their home to guests.
‘There is nothing that says all food must also be prepared by the host. Let guests choose a dish or assign something not yet spoken for. If you have a relative or friend that doesn’t cook, no problem, you now have the important role of wine supplier covered.
“Allowing others to bring part of the meal not only spreads out the cost, but it also cuts down on stress for everyone. Remember, the holidays are about family and friends, not about breaking the bank.”
To view the full story, visit: https://wallethub.com/blog/thanksgiving-facts/28332/.
More Thanksgiving Facts:
- $313 – Average person’s spending over the five-day Thanksgiving period.
- 10 Hrs. 33 Mins. – Length of time the average American male would need to spend on the treadmill to burn the 4,500 calories consumed at the average Thanksgiving meal.
- $19 Million – Amount of property loss caused by residential building fires each Thanksgiving.
- 53% – Share of people celebrating Thanksgiving who are dreading having to talk politics at the dinner table.