Happy Thanksgiving 2020 messages, images and memes

Thanksgiving 2020 will be a bit of a departure from the norm as people are encouraged not to travel and to avoid large gatherings. The pandemic has disrupted all parts of life but as we get into the holiday season there is plenty to remind us of what we’re sacrificing for.

President Donald Trump has held the traditional White House turkey pardon and plans are in place for a unique socially-distanced Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As always there’s plenty to get excited about this year and a whole host of famous names have already taken the time to send out their Thanksgiving messages.

The politicians

President-elect Joe Biden used his Thanksgiving address to set out his plans for the country under his presidency. The official transition process began on Tuesday and he has already named a number of key appointments but he is eager to stress that his time in office will concentrate on uniting people, rather than considering them as either Democrat or Republican.

On the other hand, Trump’s legal advisor Jenna Ellis used this opportunity to give thanks to the President, who she praises for his “dedication to fighting for freedom”. At a Pennsylvania Senate Majority Policy Committee public hearing on Wednesday, Ellis held up her phone to the court to allow Trump to make his case.

One who took his Thanksgiving Day message a bit far was Republican Senator Ted Cruz who posted this tasteless meme to his social media platforms. Given how many Americans will be making major sacrifices, his refusal to do drew widespread criticism.

Thanksgiving TV shows

As well as eating an enormous amount of food, iconic television moments are a major part of many people’s Thanksgiving memories. Many shows run Thanksgiving specials to get you in the mood and Friends’ festive episode is a particular favourite.

Another to record a classic Thanksgiving show was The Simpsons, who aired ‘Bart vs Thanksgiving’ thirty years ago. The episode was written by George Meyer, who said that he felt he had made some mistakes in its production “but it turned out really well overall."

Is Spiderman a Thanksgiving film? Is Die Hard a Christmas film? Is Home Alone 2 a Donald Trump film? Who knows, but Aunt May's turkey does look pretty good.

Celebrities celebrate

Of course no Thanksgiving Day would be complete without a sprinkling of celebrity and some big names have already given us a glimpse behind the curtain. Stephen Colbert, host of The Late Show, shows that preparations are well under way at their studios as chef Jose Andres gets started on some socially-distanced outdoor cooking.

Former Beatle Ringo Starr has taken to social media to show off an impressive selection of season veg, promising peace and love to his followers. The Liverpool-born drummer would not have had much experience of Thanksgiving during his youth but since moving to Los Angeles he is clearly keen to get into the spirit.