Thanksgiving is among the oldest uniquely American traditions. Though not declared an official national holiday until 1941, Thanksgiving as we know it was born from the autumn harvest feast early colonists shared with Wampanoag Indians in 1621 in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The customary Thanksgiving dinner of today is an adaptation of what was served in colonial Massachusetts nearly 400 years ago. Historians speculate the original meal included familiar items like beans, carrots, peas, onions, cranberries, and some form of fowl – turkey or otherwise. Unlike today, shellfish, venison, blueberries, and raspberries were also likely served, while potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie were notably absent from the menu.
The bounty of food served at the first Thanksgiving represented a feat of survival: a triumph of hunting, farming, and cooperation over an unforgiving wilderness in an unfamiliar world.
Today, the full feast can be secured with a short trip to the grocery store and less than $50.
More: Go ahead and gobble up – the average Thanksgiving dinner costs a bit less than last year
For decades, the American Farm Bureau Federation has tracked the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal for a group of 10. The calculation includes the cost of a 16-pound turkey, stuffing, potatoes, dinner rolls, cranberries, and of course, pumpkin pie.
Like everything else, the costs of these items are subject to the laws of supply and demand and do not remain constant. Accounting for inflation, the total cost of a Thanksgiving dinner has fluctuated by as much as 35% since 1947.
This year, the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10 is $48.90.
More: What stores are open on Thanksgiving? List of major retailers' hours for Black Friday deals
This is the cost of a Thanksgiving meal the year you were born.
| Year | Total meal cost: | Inflation adjusted cost: |
|---|---|---|
|
1947 |
$5.68 |
$48.16 |
|
1948 |
$5.81 |
$46.59 |
|
1949 |
$5.62 |
$45.43 |
|
1950 |
$5.91 |
$47.25 |
|
1951 |
$6.48 |
$48.49 |
|
1952 |
$6.52 |
$47.82 |
|
1953 |
$6.31 |
$45.68 |
|
1954 |
$6.23 |
$44.69 |
|
1955 |
$6.13 |
$43.77 |
|
1956 |
$6.31 |
$44.24 |
|
1957 |
$6.46 |
$43.94 |
|
1958 |
$6.67 |
$44.32 |
|
1959 |
$6.52 |
$42.70 |
|
1960 |
$6.71 |
$43.24 |
|
1961 |
$6.61 |
$42.12 |
|
1962 |
$6.76 |
$42.56 |
|
1963 |
$6.82 |
$42.45 |
|
1964 |
$6.92 |
$42.49 |
|
1965 |
$7.09 |
$42.91 |
|
1966 |
$7.43 |
$43.84 |
|
1967 |
$7.39 |
$42.52 |
|
1968 |
$7.68 |
$42.55 |
|
1969 |
$8.15 |
$43.17 |
|
1970 |
$8.36 |
$42.31 |
|
1971 |
$8.63 |
$41.91 |
|
1972 |
$9.13 |
$42.90 |
|
1973 |
$11.09 |
$49.43 |
|
1974 |
$12.44 |
$50.21 |
|
1975 |
$13.30 |
$49.56 |
|
1976 |
$13.22 |
$46.69 |
|
1977 |
$14.27 |
$47.32 |
|
1978 |
$15.98 |
$49.53 |
|
1979 |
$17.45 |
$49.69 |
|
1980 |
$19.39 |
$49.83 |
|
1981 |
$20.04 |
$47.28 |
|
1982 |
$20.59 |
$46.01 |
|
1983 |
$20.82 |
$44.63 |
|
1984 |
$21.62 |
$44.66 |
|
1985 |
$21.93 |
$43.78 |
|
1986 |
$28.74 |
$56.15 |
|
1987 |
$24.51 |
$46.46 |
|
1988 |
$26.61 |
$48.54 |
|
1989 |
$24.70 |
$43.17 |
|
1990 |
$28.85 |
$48.30 |
|
1991 |
$25.95 |
$42.04 |
|
1992 |
$26.39 |
$41.64 |
|
1993 |
$27.49 |
$42.33 |
|
1994 |
$28.40 |
$42.83 |
|
1995 |
$29.64 |
$43.78 |
|
1996 |
$31.66 |
$45.79 |
|
1997 |
$31.75 |
$45.13 |
|
1998 |
$33.09 |
$46.67 |
|
1999 |
$33.83 |
$47.01 |
|
2000 |
$32.37 |
$43.89 |
|
2001 |
$35.04 |
$46.61 |
|
2002 |
$34.56 |
$45.38 |
|
2003 |
$36.28 |
$46.73 |
|
2004 |
$35.68 |
$44.84 |
|
2005 |
$36.78 |
$44.94 |
|
2006 |
$38.10 |
$45.32 |
|
2007 |
$42.26 |
$49.02 |
|
2008 |
$44.61 |
$50.24 |
|
2009 |
$42.91 |
$48.37 |
|
2010 |
$43.47 |
$48.18 |
|
2011 |
$49.20 |
$53.18 |
|
2012 |
$49.48 |
$52.48 |
|
2013 |
$49.04 |
$51.33 |
|
2014 |
$49.41 |
$50.95 |
|
2015 |
$50.11 |
$51.54 |
|
2016 |
$49.87 |
$50.75 |
|
2017 |
$49.12 |
$49.12 |
|
2018 |
$48.90 |
$48.90 |
To determine the cost of a Thanksgiving meal every year from 1947 to 2018, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed price data from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving price survey. The survey collects data on the prices of items consumed in a traditional Thanksgiving meal for 10. The data is gathered by a team of volunteer shoppers around the country, and the survey first started in 1986.
The AFBF found every year that the change in the cost of the Thanksgiving meal tracks closely with the changing price of food at home as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For years prior to 1986, 24/7 Wall St. adjusted the cost of a Thanksgiving meal and its individual components using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index for food at home in November from 1947 to 1985.
For the purposes of this story, the components of a traditional Thanksgiving meal include a 16-pound turkey, 14 oz. of stuffing, 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, a dozen dinner rolls, 16 oz. of frozen peas, 12 oz. of cranberries, a half pound of both carrots and celery, ingredients for two pumpkin pies with whipped cream, and a gallon of milk.
24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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