The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and was celebrated by the American colonies and states for more than 200 years before President Abraham Lincoln declared it an official national holiday in 1863.
Although the day is not without controversy, many people see Thanksgiving mainly as a time to be with family and show gratitude for what they have. Those who are fortunate and able also take the time to give back to their communities.
Where you spend the holiday is most likely determined by where your family is, but some locations are better than others, according to an annual survey by WalletHub.
To determine 2023′s best places for Thanksgiving, the financial website compared 100 of the most populated U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions; affordability; safety and accessibility; giving thanks; and Thanksgiving weather forecast.
It then evaluated those dimensions using 18 relevant metrics, each graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for a Thanksgiving celebration.
When all the numbers were tallied, Atlanta ranked No. 6, with an overall score of 60.75. Among the key dimensions, we finished:
- Thanksgiving celebrations and traditions: 3rd
- Affordability: 47th
- Safety and accessibility: 87th
- Giving thanks: 12th
- Thanksgiving weather forecast: 15th
Among the relevant metrics, Atlanta ranked:
- Holiday decoration shops per capita: 1st
- Weather forecast: 15th
- Giving ratio: 16th
- Cost of Thanksgiving dinner: 48th
- Total volunteer hours per residents 16 and older: 49th
If you or your family is looking to explore a new city during the holiday, you might want to consider heading to California, which had the top three cities: San Francisco, San Jose and San Diego, in that order.
Coming in fourth place was Scottsdale, Arizona, with Raleigh, N.C., finishing fifth.
It doesn’t matter why you celebrate on Nov. 23, just know that if you stay here in Atlanta with friends and family you love, it should be a good day.
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