Why Thanksgiving is the Ultimate Country Music Dad Holiday– and Why It Gets No Respect

Update: 2025-11-21

Description

Thanksgiving doesn't get any respect, but we're looking to change that. The beleaguered middle child of the holiday season, Thanksgiving is often overlooked. Yet so many elements of Thanksgiving (gathering with family, romanticizing our past traditions, and reckless binge-eating, among others) seem to make it the perfect holiday for a dad and for country music. We explore why Thanksgiving doesn't get its due and we take our best shot at creating a Country Music Thanksgiving Playlist.

0:01 - The introduction: Why do we, in the country music and dad community, not elevate Thanksgiving to its rightful place as the American Holiday?

2:33 - A Bit of History about Thanksgiving and how it became today’s National Holiday. Please note that Donnie had a lot of trouble with the word “popularization.”

5:30 - What does Thanksgiving mean to the Dads? What must you have to eat in order for it to be “right?” And how does being an adult make a difference? Donnie also talks about when he was in shape and ran really fast during a Turkey Trot (Much like the misremembered history of the holiday, Donnie made up a bit of the story, but he did come in first place in the Clydesdale division one year).

13:16 - Deep-fried turkeys, roasting turkey and handling the bird like a chunky nine-month-old. Also, how do you pronounce “giblets?”

16:30 - How do kids change your traditions? Establishing these rituals is very important, and with a bit of planning, you can do great things. But there is more that gets done, and less pure enjoyment and celebration.

19:08 - The great joy of being a parent comes from hard work, and what Donnie says to people who are considering having kids.

21:21 - A Call to Dad Action: We should take Thanksgiving and make it THE American Dad Holiday.

22:30 - What must be on your Thanksgiving table?

26:20 - Donnie and Dave discuss why we think Thanksgiving doesn’t get the respect it deserves. And like the Father of our Nation, George Washington, the Country Music Dads make a proclamation naming Thanksgiving the Dads’ Holiday.

29:48 - Why are there no country music Thanksgiving songs? There are a few songs that work, and the Dads try to jam a square peg into a round hole.

40:51 - Green Bean Casserole is easy: Dads, you can up your game! Donnie outlines the entire process of making it—and it’s super easy.

42:31 - Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie is a bonkers banana pants song, but it’s a song about Thanksgiving. Sorta…

44:00 Change My Mind: Donnie pretends to believe that turkey is overrated. And Dave changed my mind -- in the name of tradition. But everyone can agree that the next day sandwich is what Thanksgiving is really all about.

Thank you for listening. The best way to support us is to subscribe to the show on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or whatever podcast platform you use. If you want to see new episodes and more content delivered straight to your email inbox, please subscribe to our newsletter: countrymusicdads.substack.com. You can find everything we do on our website: countrymusicdads.com. And we’d love to hear what you think, so send us comments, suggestions, friendly banter on Instagram @countrymusicdads, or via email countrymusicdads@gmail.com.