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Why some people plan to spend Thanksgiving alone

On the other hand, around a quarter of Americans — 26% — expect to have Thanksgiving dinner with more than 10 other people this year and 7% expect to have dinner with more than 20 others.
Solo Thanksgiving dinner
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Most Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday — about 91% — but did you know some of them plan to celebrate alone?

A new Pew Research Center survey shows some of the different ways Americans plan to spend the holiday this year.

The majority of people will celebrate Thanksgiving with other people, 74%, but interestingly enough 5% of people said they will have their turkey solo and 2% said they weren't participating at all. Some of the reasons for this were work or travel.

On the other hand, around a quarter of Americans — 26% — expect to have Thanksgiving dinner with more than 10 other people this year and 7% expect to have dinner with more than 20 others. That's a whole lot of turkey!

RELATED STORY | Americans' least favorite dish on Thanksgiving is turkey, survey says

Pew said a third of Americans, about 34%, plan to have Thanksgiving dinner at their own home this year, either hosting others or dining alone and then another 39% plan to go to someone else’s home. But there's a small percentage, 3%, who plan to go to a restaurant, hotel or other public place to celebrate the occasion.

Although the holiday is centered around dinner, most Americans eat their Thanksgiving meals in the afternoon, according to Pew's survey.

Groups from all different cultures celebrate the holiday in the U.S., according to the survey. While 93% of adults born in the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, the same is true of 88% of immigrants who have been in the country for more than 20 years, 76% of immigrants who have been in the country for 11 to 20 years and 74% of immigrants who have been in the country for a decade or less, Pew said.

Lastly — and this probably comes as no surprise — aside from eating, people celebrate by watching sports.