Thanksgiving Video Message Ideas for Family, Friends and Business

Thanksgiving is the only holiday that is literally about saying thank you, and yet most of us say it by passing a gravy boat. A short Thanksgiving video message is a way to say the real thing: to the cousin who cannot fly home, the grandmother who taught you the stuffing, or the customers who kept your shop open all year.

This page covers both sides: family and friends first, then businesses.

What should you say in a Thanksgiving video message?

Thank someone for one specific thing, and tell them why it mattered. "Thanks for teaching me the pie crust. I finally got it right, and I thought of you the whole time." Specific gratitude feels personal. General gratitude, like "thankful for everything", sounds like a sign in a gift shop.

Thank someone for one real thing. That is the whole holiday.

Thanksgiving video message ideas for family

These work for a family group chat, a grandparent on a tablet, or a film played at the table before dinner.

• The thankful chain Each family member says one thing they are thankful for, recorded separately. The five-year-old will say "my scooter". This is correct.
• The recipe thank-you A drawn film of a family recipe being made, credited to the person who invented it. "Grandma Ruth's stuffing. Still undefeated."
• The empty seat For someone who cannot come this year: a drawn table, their place set, "We saved you some pie. Actually we didn't. But we thought about it."
• The host thank-you Sent the next morning to whoever hosted. "Thank you for feeding 14 people and only crying once."
• The gratitude list Ten tiny thank-yous, fast, one per second: warm socks, a working oven, the dog, you.
• The kids' table report The kids interview each other about what Thanksgiving means. Expect "it's when we eat the bird".

What do you say to family far away on Thanksgiving?

Tell them what you will miss about having them there, then tell them what you will do to include them. "We'll miss your terrible jokes at the table. We will tell one in your honor, badly." End with a plan: a call during dessert, a visit at Christmas. Here are more lines:

• "Happy Thanksgiving from two time zones away. Thankful for you every day, especially the ones with pie."
• "The table's a little quieter without you. We're thankful you're only a call away."
• "We made your cranberry sauce. It's not as good. Happy Thanksgiving, come home soon."
• "Thankful for you, for our family, and for video calls that freeze on our best faces."

If they struggle to open videos, the guide to sending a video card by text has tips for older relatives, and the long-distance birthday video page has more ideas for people you miss.

Thanksgiving video message ideas for business

Thanksgiving is a natural moment for a business to thank customers, because it is about gratitude, not gifts. The rule is simple: thank them and stop. No Black Friday teaser in the same video.

• The regulars A cafe or shop thanks the people who come every week, without naming anyone. "To the oat latte at 7:15, you know who you are."
• Behind the scenes The team, drawn, closing up the shop for the holiday. "Thank you for a great year. We're off to eat too much."
• The closed sign Useful and warm: holiday hours plus a thank-you. People need the hours anyway.
• The staff thank-you An owner thanks their team for the busiest season. Short, sincere, and sent the day before they leave.

What should a business say in a Thanksgiving message?

Say thank you for something specific to your customers, wish them a good holiday, and sign it. Keep sales out of it. Here are lines for businesses:

• "Thank you for choosing a small shop this year. It means more than you know. Happy Thanksgiving."
• "We're thankful for every order, every review and every 'see you next week.' Enjoy the holiday."
• "From our kitchen to yours: thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving."
• "Our team is thankful for you, and for stretchy pants. Closed Thursday, back Friday."

For more on customer thank-yous all year round, see animated thank you video for customers.

How do you make a Thanksgiving video message?

1. Step 1

   Pick who you are thanking. One person, one family or one customer list. Not all three.

2. Step 2

   Name the specific thing. The recipe, the ride to the airport, the loyal order every Friday.

3. Step 3

   Write it in two sentences. The thank-you and why it mattered.

4. Step 4

   Make it short. 10 to 30 seconds. Tall for phones, wide for a TV at the table.

5. Step 5

   Send it Wednesday or Thursday morning. Before the cooking chaos starts and the phones go face down.

Making a Thanksgiving film in Nine

Nine turns your words into a short drawn film with a voice, music and sound effects, made while you watch. For a family message, a template with a name and one line is often enough. For the thankful chain, record everyone and upload the voice recording, and the film runs as long as they talk. For a shop or cafe, give Nine your website address and it uses your colors and typeface, so the thank-you looks like your business.

Change anything by saying it plainly: "warmer", "more autumn leaves", "slower at the end". You get a video file in tall, wide and square, and you send it yourself; Nine never posts anything for you. Plans start at $29 a month, with films up to 20 seconds on the Film plan. See pricing. After Thanksgiving, the season rolls on to Christmas video greetings.