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65 Best Thanksgiving Quotes to Express Gratitude and Thanks

Share these uplifting and inspirational Thanksgiving quotes to perfectly sum up your feelings and sentiments

Thanksgiving Quote by Nigel Hamilton
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Happy Thanksgiving quotes that capture the meaning of the season

Thanksgiving is a time of year to gather with loved ones and enjoy a lovely meal together. It’s also a time to reflect on the things you’re most grateful for and convey gratitude. If you’re not sure how to express yourself, don’t worry; these meaningful Thanksgiving quotes will do the trick.

These quotes about gratitude capture the true meaning of the holiday, a time of giving thanks, feeling grateful and enjoying time spent with friends and family. Share them (along with some funny Thanksgiving quotes) around the table to show how much this holiday means to you. Then share these Thanksgiving poems and wishes to keep the festivities going.

Thanksgiving Quote by Al Green
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“I’m thankful for every moment.” —Al Green. This quote would also make a great Thanksgiving Instagram caption.

Thanksgiving Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
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“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“And though I ebb in worth, I’ll flow in thanks.” —John Taylor 

Thanksgiving Quote by Henry Van Dyke
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“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” —Henry Van Dyke. 

Thanksgiving Quote by Tony Snow
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“If you think Independence Day is America’s defining holiday, think again. Thanksgiving deserves that title, hands down.” —Tony Snow

Thanksgiving Quote by W. Clement Stone
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“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.” —W. Clement Stone.

Thanksgiving Quote by Amy Grant
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Thanksgiving Day is a good day to recommit our energies to giving thanks and just giving.” —Amy Grant. 

Thanksgiving Quote by Franz Grillparzer
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“Drink and be thankful to the host! What seems insignificant when you have it is important when you need it.” —Franz Grillparzer. 

Thanksgiving Quote by John F. Kennedy
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“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” —John F. Kennedy. 

Thanksgiving Quote by Friedrich Koenig
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“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” —Friedrich Koenig

Thanksgiving Quote by Daniel Humm
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“What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from.” —Daniel Humm

Thanksgiving Quote Willie Nelson
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“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” —Willie Nelson

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“The more we express thanks, the more gratitude we feel. The more gratitude we feel, the more we express thanks. It’s circular and it leads to a happier life.” —Steve Goodier

Thanksgiving Quote by Charles Dickens
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“Reflect upon your present blessings.” —Charles Dickens. Doing some last-minute holiday shopping? These are the stores open on Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Quote by Marcus Samuelsson
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“I love Thanksgiving because it’s a holiday that is centered around food and family, two things that are of utmost importance to me.” —Marcus Samuelsson.

Thanksgiving Quote by Marcel Proust
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“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” —Marcel Proust

Thanksgiving Quote by Ann Voskamp
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“Thanksgiving creates abundance.” —Ann Voskamp

Thanksgiving Quote By William Arthur Ward Ud 01
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“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you‘?” —William Arthur Ward

Thanksgiving Quote by Melody Beattie
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“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.” —Melody Beattie.

Thanksgiving Quote by Harry A. Ironside
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“We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction.” —Harry A. Ironside

Thanksgiving Quote by Oprah Winfrey
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“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” —Oprah Winfrey

Thanksgiving Quote by Gilbert K. Chesterton
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“Thanks are the highest form of thought.” —Gilbert K. Chesterton

Thanksgiving Quote by Nigel Hamilton
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“Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude.” —Nigel Hamilton

Thanksgiving Quote by Anne Frank
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“No one has ever become poor by giving.” —Anne Frank

Thanksgiving Quote by Lawrence Welk
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“Over and over I marvel at the blessings of my life: Each year has grown better than the last.” —Lawrence Welk

Thanksgiving Quote by O. Henry
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“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.” —O. Henry. 

Thanksgiving Quote by W.T. Purkiser
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“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.” —W.T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving Quote by Victor Hugo
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“To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do.” —Victor Hugo

Thanksgiving Quote by Willard Scott
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“Thanksgiving just gets me all warm and tingly and all kinds of wonderful inside.” —Willard Scott

Thanksgiving Quote by Melody Beattie
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“Gratitude can turn a meal into a feast.” —Melody Beattie.

Thanksgiving Quote by Henry Ward Beecher
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“The thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.” —Henry Ward Beecher

Thanksgiving Quote by Edwin Arlington Robinson
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“Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” —Edwin Arlington Robinson

Thanksgiving Quote by James Allen
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“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” —James Allen

Thanksgiving Quote by Dalai Lama
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“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.” —Dalai Lama.

Thanksgiving Quote by Phillips Brooks
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“Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been, a better time or a better place to live in.” —Phillips Brooks

Thanksgiving Quote by Frank A. Clark
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“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.” —Frank A. Clark. 

Thanksgiving Quote by W.J. Cameron
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“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” —W.J. Cameron

Thanksgiving Quote by Aesop
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“Gratitude is the sign of noble souls.” —Aesop

Thanksgiving Quote by Seneca the Younger
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“Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.” —Seneca the Younger.

Thanksgiving Quote by Vivien Leigh
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“Dear Lord, I’m so grateful I’m still loved.” —Vivien Leigh.

Thanksgiving Quote by Margaret Cousins
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“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” —Margaret Cousins

Thanksgiving Quote by Marcus Tullius Cicero
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“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all the others.” —Marcus Tullius Cicero

Thanksgiving Quote by Joyce Meyer
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“There’s no happier person than a truly thankful, content person.” —Joyce Meyer

Thanksgiving Quote by Maya Angelou
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“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.” —Maya Angelou.

Thanksgiving Quote by Ron Perlman
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“I’m thankful to be breathing, on this side of the grass. Whatever comes, comes.” —Ron Perlman

Thanksgiving Quote by Jacob Tremblay
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“I do think that Thanksgiving is a very nice holiday because it’s all about saying thank you; it’s being thankful.” —Jacob Tremblay

Thanksgiving Quote by E.P. Powell
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“Thanksgiving Day is a jewel to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day and leave out the gratitude.” —E.P. Powell

Thanksgiving Quote by Linda Colley
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“Thanksgiving is America’s favourite holiday, and a brilliant piece of personal as well as patriotic calendrical invention.” —Linda Colley

Thanksgiving Quote by Jon Pardi
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“I’m just thankful I’m surrounded by good people.” —Jon Pardi.

Thanksgiving Quote by Reba McEntire
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“I have a lot to be thankful for. I am healthy, happy, and I am loved.” —Reba McEntire

Thanksgiving Quote by Catherine Pulsifer
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“Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.” —Catherine Pulsifer

Thanksgiving Quote by Ernest Hemingway
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“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with that there is.” —Ernest Hemingway

Thanksgiving Quote by Norman Vincent Peale
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“A basic law: The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” —Norman Vincent Peale

Thanksgiving Quote by Neal A. Maxwell
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“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.” —Neal A. Maxwell.

Thanksgiving Quote by Cynthia Ozick
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“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” —Cynthia Ozick

Thanksgiving Quote by George Bernard Shaw
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“There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” —George Bernard Shaw

Thanksgiving Quote by Conrad Gessner
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“Best of all is it to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a thanksgiving, and for every breath a song.” —Conrad Gessner

Thanksgiving Quote by Thornton Wilder
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“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” —Thornton Wilder

Thanksgiving Quote by Theodor Roosevelt
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“Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Thanksgiving Quote by Bethany Hamilton
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“Strive to find things to be thankful for, and just look for the good in who you are!” —Bethany Hamilton.

Thanksgiving Quote by John G. Shedd
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“He who thanks but with the lips, thanks but in part; the full, the true Thanksgiving comes from the heart.” —John G. Shedd

Thanksgiving Quote by Marcus Samuelsson
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“Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday—it’s a day that’s American to the core, and it’s a day that’s all about what and how we eat.” —Marcus Samuelsson

Thanksgiving Quote by David Ignatius
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“Thanksgiving is America’s favorite holiday because it’s a time when we put aside our cares, much as the struggling Pilgrims did nearly four centuries ago, and eat a gut-busting meal without worrying about the ‘out years.'” —David Ignatius

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“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” —Melody Beattie. 

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“Forever on Thanksgiving Day the heart will find the pathway home.” —Wilbur D. Nesbit

Kelly Kuehn
Kelly Kuehn is a former editor for Reader’s Digest who covered entertainment, trivia and history. When she’s not working you can find her watching the latest and greatest movies, listening to a true-crime podcast (or two), blasting ‘90s music and hiking with her dog, Ryker, throughout the Finger Lakes.