85% of Thanksgiving Hosts Want Guests to Pitch In, but Only 38% Ask, Butterball Says

Butterball, the turkey brand based in Garner, N.C., has put numbers on a familiar Thanksgiving tension: hosts want help in the kitchen, but most of them never ask for it. In its 2026 Butterball Togetherness Report, announced September 29, 2026, the company found that 85% of hosts want guests to pitch in, while only 38% actually ask. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year.

The same report names the moment hosts need help most: final cleanup, which 49% of hosts picked. Butterball built a product around that gap, and the numbers behind it come from a national survey the company commissioned.

85% Want Help, 38% Ask

The gap is the headline number of the report. According to Butterball, an overwhelming majority of hosts, 85%, want guests to pitch in, but only 38% actually ask for help. In other words, most hosts are hoping guests will notice what needs doing without being told.

The findings come from an online survey of 1,374 U.S. adults, a nationally representative sample, fielded by Circana in July 2026 and commissioned by Butterball, the company said. Frenz Hub has a post titled 15 Simple Etiquette Tips for Being the Perfect Houseguest, which fits the same kind of holiday-hosting question.

Cleanup Is Where Hosts Want the Most Help

Butterball reported that 49% of hosts say final cleanup is when they need the most help. That is the stretch after the meal, when the work shifts from cooking to putting the kitchen back in order.

The sister site craftingyourhome.com has a post titled People Who Always Offer to Help Clean Up at Someone Else’s House Often Share These 8 Traits, and another titled 8 Things Never to Put in a Garbage Disposal Before Thanksgiving Cooking, both on the same post-meal theme.

A Table of 10 With Turkey at the Center

Butterball said 85% of consumers plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, with an anticipated gathering of 10 people. Hosts are holding on to their traditions, the company said, with most saying higher costs will not change their plans.

Turkey is still the centerpiece. Among hosts, 84% plan to serve turkey, and nearly half plan to buy a frozen bird while one in five plan to buy a fresh one. Asked about the favorite part of the meal, consumers picked turkey at 45%, stuffing at 42%, pie at 29%, sweet potatoes at 25% and potatoes at 22%.

Time with family led the list of what people look forward to at 64%, ahead of the food at 53% and relaxing at 34%. Frenz Hub has a post titled 14 Strange Thanksgiving Traditions That Everyone Pretends Aren’t Weird, a nod to how many versions of the day exist.

Rebecca Welch, Butterball’s director of retail and international brand management, said in the release that hosts told the company “a little support can go a long way.”

The Butterball Buddy Hands Out Chores

The company’s answer to the help gap is the Butterball Buddy, which Butterball introduced on Nov. 3. It is described as a turkey-shaped, retro notification device that serves up simple, timely tasks for guests throughout Thanksgiving Day before the host has to ask.

It works by being passed around. When the Buddy chimes and vibrates, the person holding it receives a task timed to the rhythm of the day, before, during and after the meal. After finishing the task, that guest passes the Buddy to the next person. The prompts were informed by the Togetherness Report and the Turkey Talk-Line’s 45 years of experience, from setting the table to tackling the dishes. After Thanksgiving, the Buddy doubles as a kitchen timer.

Valerie Saint Sing, seasonal senior brand manager at Butterball, said the Buddy gives guests an easy way to pitch in before the host has to ask. Flipping the device over reveals Turkey Talk-Line contact information for turkey help and tips, the company said.

Butterball opened ordering for the Buddy on Nov. 2 through ButterballBuddy.com, describing it as free while supplies last, and said in its Nov. 3 release that additional quantities would be released on Nov. 9 and Nov. 16. Frenz Hub also has a post titled Free Up the Oven This Thanksgiving: COSORI vs Ninja Air Fryer vs Ninja Flip Toaster Oven, for hosts thinking about oven space on the big day.

The Turkey Talk-Line Turns 45

The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line first opened in November 1981 and is celebrating its 45th year, according to the company’s release. This season it opened Nov. 2, with more than 50 experts answering questions by phone, text, email, chat and social channels through Dec. 24.

Butterball said the questions range from thawing and roasting to checking for doneness and handling leftovers, and the line takes calls in English and Spanish. The phone number is 1-800-BUTTERBALL, and the company’s release points to Butterball.com for more.

A Brand Survey, Read Plainly

The Togetherness Report is a company survey about a company’s own product season, so the numbers describe what respondents told Butterball rather than an independent count of how Thanksgiving dinners go. Butterball itself is a long-established name: Wikipedia notes that the brand has been formally recognized since 1940 and that the company sells turkey and other poultry products.

Thanksgiving itself is a fixed date on the calendar. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, a uniform date nationwide since 1941, according to Wikipedia, which makes this year’s date Nov. 26.

The takeaway from the report is a simple one: 85% of hosts hope for help, and only 38% say the words. A turkey-shaped chime is one way to close that gap, and a plain request before the meal is another.

This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: FEMA/Dennis Pinkham – Public domain/Wikimedia Commons