From Awkward to Hilarious: Our Favorite Funny Thanksgiving Stories

Thanksgiving is a time to come together and give thanks for all of the wonderful things we have in our lives. But let’s be honest, it can also be a pretty awkward holiday. From arguing with family members to eating too much turkey, we’ve all been there.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, we’ve been howling at online stories of Thanksgiving shenanigans. In this blog, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite funny Thanksgiving stories — from awkward encounters to hilarious mishaps — that will have you laughing out loud.

From burned Turkey, to drive-through dinners, here are some of our favorite Thanksgiving stories from The Gift of Happiness team.

The year we had to eat Thanksgiving dinner at McDonald’s

Twas the night before Thanksgiving and I was in charge of making the dinner. I was fresh out of college and had never cooked a turkey before, but I was confident that I could do it. My family was counting on me to make a delicious Thanksgiving meal, and I was sure I could deliver a feast to be remembered.

I followed the instructions from Martha Stewart herself to a T… or so I thought. I spent hours stuffing, trussing and preparing the turkey and all the trimmings. But when it came time to put the turkey in the oven, I accidentally turned on the broiler instead of the oven! Soon the whole kitchen was filled with smoke and the alarm went off.

My family came running into the kitchen to see what was going on just as I pulled the scorched (and still raw) turkey from the oven. I was so disappointed that the turkey was burnt.

The side dishes were no better. The mashed potatoes were lumpy, the green beans were also burnt, and the cranberry sauce was stuck to the bottom of the pan. And don’t even get me started on the pumpkin pie.

Defeated, dad piled us all into the car and on Thanksgiving day, we went to the McDonald’s drive-thru. It wasn’t the traditional Thanksgiving meal that we were used to, but as we were eating our Happy Meals we all started to laugh until we had tears streaming down our faces.

I never cooked Thanksgiving dinner again.

The year my boss came to Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and awkward moments with the boss.

For some, the holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones and reflecting on what we’re thankful for. But for others, it’s a great opportunity to boost your standing with your boss.

Last year, I invited my boss and his wife to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I was gunning for a promotion and was determined to make a good impression. I had the whole family dress smartly, and had spoken with the kids about how to behave when my boss and his wife arrived.

The whole meal had gone off without a hitch. The conversation and the good times had been flowing with ease, and I was sure that we had made a lasting impression on my boss.

After dinner, my boss left the table to visit the bathroom. My wife was bringing the pumpkin pie into the dining room when our son began to cry. She placed the pie down on the chair beside her, and we both tried to calm our son down.

My boss came back into the room as the commotion with my son was calming down. Without looking, he sat back down on his chair at the table and we heard a large squelch. My boss looked shocked, and the color drained from my wife’s face as she realized where she had left the pumpkin pie.

My boss had sat in the pumpkin pie! After the surprise, we all laughed. I let my boss borrow a pair of my pants and we finished the evening.

I am not sure if we left a good impression on my boss, but I am sure he left a large impression on our poor pumpkin pie.

The year we all received the same gift.

One year our grandma decided to give us all the same gift – an ugly sweater that she had knitted herself. As we opened our gifts from grandma, we all tried to be polite and grateful, but it was clear that none of us were thrilled with the gift.

Grandma had started to knit a few months before, so none of the sweaters fit us properly, and the arms were in weird places. Seriously, no one is shaped like that!

She had tried to knit a turkey on the front of my brother’s sweater, but instead of looking cute and festive, the turkey looked like something out of a horror movie.

At first, we were all a little disappointed. But as we started to put them on, we realized that they were actually kind of fun. And when we saw how happy grandma was, and as we laughed and joked with each other, we knew that this was the best Thanksgiving gift we could have ever received.

The sweaters quickly became a running joke within the family. Every year we would buy each other a new ugly sweater to wear and we would compete to see who could find the best one.

So thank you, grandma, for making our favorite Thanksgiving tradition. We’ll always cherish our ugly sweaters – and the memories that go along with them.

Finding the Perfect Thanksgiving Gift 2022

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re all thinking about what to get our loved ones. We want to find a gift that’s thoughtful and personal but also something they’ll actually enjoy. And we know that ugly sweaters aren’t for everyone!

Why not treat your family to our top Thanksgiving gift pick: the Lion Family Portrait Personalised Playing Cards Gift Frame.

A family portrait is a wonderful way to remember the people who mean so much to you, and this personalized playing card gift frame makes for a great keepsake.

Our Final Thoughts

These funny Thanksgiving mishaps show us that even though things may not always go as planned, we can still laugh, enjoy ourselves, and be grateful for what we do have. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that what Thanksgiving is all about?

Remember to laugh at yourself this Thanksgiving, be grateful for what you have, and give generously to others. And if all else fails, just remember that there’s always next year.

Happy Thanksgiving!