This post includes 35 Thanksgiving gratitude quotes for you to use to reflect, relish, and remember.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we will earn a small commission if you purchase through our link at no extra cost to you.
Thanksgiving is so much more than sharing food around the table, itās a time to practice our gratitude and be thankful for what we have. These quotes are meant to serve as inspiration for your holiday traditions.
Often itās hard to find the words to express the depth of our feelings and thatās where the power of quotes comes in!
Quotes are powerful little phrases that we can use to turn our most profound feelings and emotions into speakable (and shareable) expressions.
A Brief History of Thanksgiving
Before we get into the quotes, we wanted to quickly revisit the historical context of Thanksgiving. The tradition of the holiday dates back to the early 17th century when the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest.
While the holiday has evolved, the central theme remains unchanged: giving thanks. Itās a day dedicated to celebrating the harvest and its bounties that enrich our lives.
However, itās critical to also acknowledge that for many Native Americans, this day also serves as a reminder of the oppression and colonization of their people. In our thankfulness and gratitude itās also important to reflect on their history and the ways in which we harmed their people and culture.
Thanksgiving has come to represent a time of reflection, understanding, and inclusivity so that we donāt repeat mistakes of that past.
As a tribute to the wisdom of Native American culture, we start our list of Thanksgiving quotes off with five quotes from Native American figures.
The Power of Words: Why Thanksgiving Gratitude Quotes Matter
Quotes have an uncanny ability to touch our souls. They express the sentiments that often remain unspoken and inspire, provoke thought, and comfort.
In the context of Thanksgiving, quotes give us a way to express and share our gratitude with loved ones. They give words to the feelings that are often difficult to share and provide us with the tools to share the spirit of the season.
35 Heartwarming Thanksgiving Gratitude Quotes
1.
“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.”
– Tecumseh (Shawnee)
2.
āWhat is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. And, it is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.ā
– Blackfoot saying
3.
āThe Great Spirit is in all things. He is in the air we breathe. The Great Spirit is our Father, but the Earth is our Mother. She nourishes usā¦..That which we put into the ground she returns to us.ā
– Big Thunder Wabanaki, Algonquin
4.
āHonor the sacred. Honor the Earth, our Mother. And honor the Elders. Honor all with whom we share the Earth: Four-leggeds, two-leggeds, winged ones, swimmers, crawlers, plant and rock people. Walk-in balance and beauty.ā
– Unknown Native American Elder
5.
āHold on to what is good, Even if itās a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, Even if itās a tree that stands by itself. And, hold on to what you must do, Even if itās a long way from here. Hold on to your life, Even if itās easier to let go. Hold on to my hand, Even if someday Iāll be gone away from you.ā
– Crowfoot, Blackfoot
6.
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
– William Arthur Ward
7.
“Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude.”
– Nigel Hamilton
8.
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
– Marcel Proust
9.
“Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot.”
– Hausa Proverb
10.
“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling.”
– Henry Van Dyke
11.
“Thanksgiving isn’t just a day. It’s a way we can live our lives every day.”
– Katrina Mayer
12.
“The more we express thanks, the more gratitude we feel. The more gratitude we feel, the more we express thanks. It’s circular, and it leads to a happier life.”
– Steve Goodier
13.
“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”
– French Proverb
14.
“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.”
– W.J. Cameron
15.
“Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths.”
– Sarah Josepha Hale
16.
“There is always something to be thankful for.”
– Unknown
17.
“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”
– W.T. Purkiser
18.
“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”
– Albert Schweitzer
19.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
– Anonymous
20.
“The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness.”
– Dalai Lama
21.
“Be present in all things and thankful for all things.”
– Maya Angelou
22.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.”
– Melody Beattie
23.
“Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
– Charles Dickens
24.
“When you love what you have, you have everything you need.”
– Unknown
25.
“It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters.”
– Unknown
26.
“No one has ever become poor by giving.”
– Anne Frank
27.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others.”
– Marcus Tullius Cicero
28.
“Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.”
– Eckhart Tolle
29.
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.”
– Johannes A. Gaertner
30.
“If a fellow isn’t thankful for what he’s got, he isn’t likely to be thankful for what he’s going to get.”
– Frank A. Clark
31.
“The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings.”
– Henry Ward Beecher
32.
“What if, today, we were grateful for everything?”
– Charlie Brown
33.
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
– Melody Beattie
34.
“We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
– John F. Kennedy
35.
“The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time.”
– Douglas Wood
Incorporating Gratitude into Your Thanksgiving Celebration
Embracing quotes for thankfulness is a great way to bring in the spirit of gratitude into your Thanksgiving traditions.
Consider all the ways that you can use these gratitude quotes to spread heartwarming inspiration.
Here are some ideas:
- Each choose a quote and share it around the table
- Print out a quote and use it as part of your Thanksgiving decoration
- Add the quotes to cards to share personal sentiments with loved ones
Incorporating these gratitude quotes for Thanksgiving will elevate your Thanksgiving tradition. They serve as reminders for everything we have to give thanks to this year.
The Link Between Gratitude and Wellbeing
Science backs the feeling that weāve always felt deep in our hearts: gratitude is a power of good in the world.
More and more research is coming out on just how impactful gratitude is. In fact, giving thanks is proven to be linked to happiness.
Gratitude can be a transformative force in your life. Just taking a moment to recognize and acknowledge our blessings shifts our perspective and reduces stress and anxiety.
A regular gratitude practice is shown to improve mental health, enhance our wellbeing, and even elevate our physical health.
Making Gratitude A Practice Beyond Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving only comes once a year but a practice of gratitude should be a near daily habit.
Individuals who have a gratitude practice tend to be more optimistic and experience fewer symptoms of depression. They display resilience allowing them to better cope with difficult situations. Plus, it can help improve sleep quality and support cardiovascular health.
The brainās neural pathways, the highways in our brain that allow information to travel to different areas, are changed by practicing gratitude which leads to increased empathy and reduced aggression.
And the best part? It doesnāt take much to reap the benefits. Studies show that:
āSimply journaling for five minutes a day can enhance our long-term happiness by over 10%.ā
If youāre interested in developing a daily gratitude practice, check out these 31 Brilliant Thanksgiving Journal Prompts to Fill Your Heart With Gratitude.
We hope you found these Thanksgiving gratitude quotes inspiring.
Happy Thanksgiving and we hope you have an incredible holiday filled with gratitude, love, and shared thanks.
Let us know in the comments below how you chose to use these quotes for Thanksgiving!
More ideas youāll love:
- 31 Brilliant Thanksgiving Journal Prompts to Fill Your Heart With Gratitude
- The 83 Best Inspirational Movie Quotes To Lift Your Spirits
- The Ultimate 31-Day Fall Self Care Challenge + Printable PDF
Pin for later!
Leave a Reply