Thanksgiving wasn’t always about perfectly styled Instagram shots and choreographed dinner videos. These 26 vintage moments take you straight back to when dinner was served on plaid tablecloths, everyone wore their finest sweater, and “sharing” meant passing the gravy, not snapping pics.
“Randy Savage and his family having Thanksgiving dinner (1987)”
“A Sesame Street Thanksgiving in 1974”
“My parents said they had too much Thanksgiving turkey… 1979”
“Family Thanksgiving 1985”
“My mom’s Thanksgiving in 1955”
“Mickey Mouse making his Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 1934”
“My parents during Thanksgiving of ‘79”
“Thanksgiving circa 50’s. My grandma going full Norman Bates on the turkey… and my grandpa’s look of pure adoration.”
“A fine table setting for Thanksgiving, 1950s.”
“Dad celebrating Thanksgiving in Vietnam. 1960s”
“Thanksgiving 1970.
My mom got all done up because my uncle was bringing his best friend home from college for the holiday, and she had a crush on him.
10 years later they had my brother, and 15 years later they had me!”
“My grandparents as college students heading to Thanksgiving dinner in 1954”
“Thanksgiving, 1970s”
“William Shatner as Captain Kirk in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. NYC, November 28th, 1968.”
“Having trouble picking out my mom, Thanksgiving 1968? Just look for the ice-cold laser glare of doom.”
“70s Thanksgiving with my stylin’ grandpa.”
“Thanksgiving 1980s”
“My uncle at my house in 1985 on Thanksgiving.”
“Thanksgiving 1971 I believe.”
“PFC William G. Curtis (San Diego, CA) and PFC Donald R. Stratton (Colville, WA) celebrate Thanksgiving in the ruins of a building in Geilenkirchen, Germany (November 23, 1944). Both of them survived the war.”
“John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette celebrating Thanksgiving with the Noonan Family in 1997 in Hyannis Port.”
“A Maltese family Thanksgiving in Detroit, Michigan, 1975.”
“Thanksgiving Kids’ Table (1980)”
“Me marching in my high school band in 1986 (in New Rochelle, NY) for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
“My mom (far right) and her cousins, Thanksgiving 1986”
“Thanksgiving, 1956 or so. My Dad, Mom, and brother.”