A Nostalgic Scrapbook of 70's and 80's Thanksgiving Moments for a Trip Down Memory Lane (November 27, 2024)

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Nov 27, 2024 10:00 AM EST

Those electric turkey carvers of the 70s and 80s still haunt our dreams. The unnatural whir of trembling sawtooth blades haplessly shredding the beloved dark meat of the turkey proved once again that technology doesn't always breed innovation. So even though the cousins at the Thanksgiving kids' table shrieked and covered their ears when Dad carved the turkey, we still have fond memories of Turkey Day from way back when.

Unplugged from the Internet and with eyes fixed on the Macy's Parade on TV, families sat down for a seemingly endless meal of gravy, poultry, stuffing, taters, and the occasional soggy green bean. And with the crisp autumn chill of the northern winds blustering by our frosty windows, we hunkered down as a family in front of a crackling fire, playing games with our siblings until Granny fell asleep in her chair. Times were simpler back then–and even though we tried to complicate things with the likes of an electric turkey carver, the 70s and 80s still ring true as the last pure era of simplistic family moments that'll forever ingrain in the fabric of our lives.

Gobble up these nostalgic snapshots from a bygone era's Thanksgiving Day celebrations!