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A majority of Wood River Valley residents reported slightly less traumatic Thanksgiving gatherings with family this year compared with the past five, but said the holiday was still “mostly exhausting,” according to a new DNN poll.
Sixty-eight percent of valley respondents who spent time with family over Thanksgiving said they felt a reduced desire to plunge a turkey carver into a relative’s eye socket — or their own. That marks a major improvement from 2024, when 83% said that was exactly what they wanted to do.
An off-year for major national elections was cited as the primary reason for the decline in angst and the drop in table-side brawls.
Still, 64% of respondents said the holiday resurfaced childhood trauma, and 47% said politics continued to dominate Thanksgiving dinner discussions.
Fifty-nine percent of those political conversations escalated into full-blown arguments, with 11% turning into fistfights, 3% into brawls and less than 1% — but more than zero — into attempted murder.
A full 100% of arguments, spats, fights, spars, brawls and jousts were attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.
Just under 6% of people ate meat they believed was turkey but wasn’t. Two percent thought it was Easter and ate ham.
Forty percent of people who don’t normally drink alcohol drank it in excess — and of those, 89% started fights with family members.
Just over 20% of valley residents tried cannabis for the first time — edibles, vape or flower. Ninety percent reported enjoying the experience and sleeping better than they had in months, while 10% freaked out and called the police on themselves.
Demand for psychotherapy is currently up 890%.
Eighty-six percent of statistics are made up on the spot.
