Good morning and happy Thanksgiving. This is a special edition of the newsletter — our team is taking a holiday break. We’ll be back on Monday with the news you need to start your week, plus a little joy and wonder.
‘It’s good to be thankful’ — Michel Martin
Maybe I’ve spent too much time in Washington, because a line I heard years ago from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich often comes to mind at Thanksgiving. At an informal dinner with young staff and reporters he said: ‘The test of any program or project should be: If you weren’t already doing it, would you start?’
Why bring that up at Thanksgiving? Because if you don’t already make space for gratitude, togetherness or reflection, maybe this holiday is a good place to begin. The origin story of the 1621 harvest meal is complicated: it involved cooperation but also preceded deep injustices for the Wampanoag people, who later lost land and autonomy. The modern holiday can also feel overstuffed — too much food, too much shopping, stores opening too early.
Still, acknowledging those truths doesn’t erase a simple fact for me: having a day to pause and be thankful matters. A day to gather with those you choose, to honor those here now and those who have arrived more recently, can be worth starting if you haven’t already. Happy Thanksgiving.
Susan Stamberg’s cranberry relish
Since 1971, NPR founding mother Susan Stamberg made it a Thanksgiving ritual to share her mother-in-law’s cranberry relish on the air. It’s not the usual smooth, deep-red jelly: the relish includes sour cream, onion and horseradish, and its bright pink color has prompted playful comparisons to Pepto-Bismol — though Stamberg always urged listeners to taste before judging.
Stamberg died last month at 87, but her holiday tradition lives on. This year Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep spoke with Stamberg’s grandchildren about the recipe. Here are moments over the years when NPR and Stamberg kept the relish conversation alive:
– 2001: The on-air recipe almost came to an end, but patriotic impulse kept the tradition intact.
– 2002: Listeners and readers shared their own relish rituals, reviews and serving tips.
– 2005: Martha Stewart spoke with Stamberg — and the relish stole some of the turkey’s thunder.
– 2007: Sportswriter John Feinstein was convinced to give it a try.
– 2009: Food writer Ruth Reichl cooked along with Stamberg and published a photo guide.
– 2010: Rapper Coolio sampled and weighed in.
– 2011: Stamberg taught the recipe to two White House chefs.
– 2015: She recalled a surprise appearance of the family relish at a 2011 Thanksgiving in Kabul.
– 2016: The relish met its toughest critics: some NPR staffers.
– 2019: Stamberg interviewed Ocean Spray’s then-president and CEO about the dish.
– 2020: NPR traced the relish back to its most divisive ingredient: horseradish.
Thanksgiving stories you may have missed
– Cost: The price of a whole frozen turkey is down about 16% from last year, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation — something to be grateful for if you’re feeding a crowd.
– Family tensions: Holidays can bring closeness and conflict. To help keep dinners calmer, Life Kit and It’s Been a Minute compiled 12 expert-backed strategies for navigating difficult conversations and preserving peace at the table.
– Food and mood: Research suggests whole grains contain a type of fiber linked to better mood and lower risk of mood disorders. If you want a small mood boost, try making your stuffing with whole-wheat bread.
– Picture book: Author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Frank Morrison’s sixth collaboration, Family Feast!, celebrates food, family and togetherness as a family prepares — and enjoys — a large holiday meal. It reads like a warm reminder that any feast can be a celebration of love.
– Unusual traditions: Morning Edition looked around the country for Thanksgiving rituals that might change how you think about the holiday — from Julefest, a two-day post-Thanksgiving celebration in southern Iowa, to the Santa Barbara Zoo’s custom of feeding leftover Halloween pumpkins to the animals.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.