Fewer Americans will talk about politics or football at the Thanksgiving table this year, while 96 percent of those dinners will still feature turkey, according to a national survey by West Des Moines-based marketing firm Meyocks. And more than one out of three of us will do some napping after the meal. 

According to the 2017 Meyocks Thanksgiving Survey, 36 percent of Americans say that politics will be strictly off-limits as families gather to gives thanks, up from 30 percent a year ago. In addition, 41 percent of Americans say they will talk about football, down from 47 percent in 2016.

The most popular discussion topics at the Thanksgiving table are family (65 percent), followed by nonpolitical current events (45 percent), kids (44 percent) and career/work (41 percent). 

Family continues to be the No. 1 reason to give thanks — and the second-largest stressor of the holiday, according to the survey, conducted nationwide via an online panel with 1,630 Americans age 18 and older. Perhaps not coincidentally, in more than a third of homes (35 percent), families will allow phones and tablets as a distraction at the Thanksgiving table.

“Unfortunately, we may use our technology to get away from the family member across the table,” Meyocks President Doug Jeske said, “or we just may be getting started on holiday shopping.” 

What else will we be doing on Thanksgiving? 
– 59 percent of Americans always say a prayer before the Thanksgiving meal, 24 percent sometimes say a prayer, and 17 percent never say a prayer.
– 38 percent of Americans nap after the Thanksgiving meal. Of those who nap, 4 percent nap less than 15 minutes, 13 percent nap between 15 and 30 minutes, 17 percent nap more than a half hour, and 4 percent say they are out the rest of the night.
– To work off the Thanksgiving meal, 35 percent of Americans take a walk, 24 percent increase their exercise routine in the days or weeks after Thanksgiving, and 18 percent play with the kids.