Today, Americans will express their gratitude for the good things they and others have in life. According to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, most adults (86%) say they have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, even in a time of historic economic uncertainty. Only seven percent (7%) say they do not.

Just 12% may not be so grateful this Thanksgiving because they have to work at their jobs for the holiday. Eighty-one percent (81%), however, do not have to work on Thursday. These figures are virtually unchanged from last year.

Most adults (53%) consider the holiday the nation’s most important. Only three percent (3%) deem it the least important, while 43% say it’s somewhere in between. That’s nearly identical to our survey conducted this time last year. More Republicans (59%) feel the holiday is one of the nation’s most important holidays than Democrats (48%).

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In a separate Rasmussen Reports survey this week, 67% of adults said Thanksgiving is getting lost in the extended Christmas season, with businesses marketing toward the holidays in October and Christmas music on the air in early November.

As far as tradition goes, a plurality of adults will either have their Thanksgiving dinner at home (40%) or at a relative’s home (44%). Ten percent (10%) of adults say that they will enjoy dinner at a friend’s house or at a restaurant. Just 3% won’t be having a special Thanksgiving dinner at all.

While most (80%) adults will feast on turkey, 13% say they will either dive into a ham or have something else entirely this year. Forty-six percent (46%) admit they will definitely eat too much on Thursday, but 41% say they won’t. Men (67%) and women (66%) under 40 are way more likely to eat much more than men (40%) and women (41%) over 40.

Football remains a popular holiday pastime. Almost half (47%) of adults say they will watch football on Thanksgiving; 41% will not. Not surprisingly, men (56%) are more likely to watch a game than women (38%).

Finally, nearly one out of 10 adults (8%) say they plan to attend a Thanksgiving Day parade. Most (83%) will not.

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