<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"When we asked 1,283 &lt;em&gt;Bon App\u00E9tit &lt;/em&gt;Super Fans about their Thanksgiving rituals, we had no idea what to expect. What if most of America was actually eating pork for dinner? Could it be that mashed potatoes had fallen forever out of fashion? And suppose the nation had given up on cooking completely and was just having pizza delivered on the Big Day\u2014what then?\r\n\r\nOur nail-biting days are done. The results of our Thanksgiving survey are in, and we're proud to present our reassuring, unpredicted, and bizarre findings. Did you know that the average Thanksgiving dinner begins at exactly 4:47 p.m.? Or that the average reader spends 5.2 hours cooking on the Big Day, with 11 days of prep? You do now.\r\n\r\nWho knows? Maybe these fun facts will even help you plan your Thanksgiving. (&lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/holidays/article/bon-appetit-thanksgiving-app\"&gt;And then you can download our free Thanksgiving App.&lt;/a&gt;) After all, this is hard data, people. There's no arguing with it.\r\n\r\n&amp;nbsp; The verdict:\u00A0&lt;strong&gt;YES&lt;/strong&gt;. In vino veritas. 67.1% of respondents admitted to pouring themselves a glass in the kitchen. Consider it the pleasant counterpart to \"clean as you go\": drink as you go. Or, if you're really into multitasking, drink as you clean as you go. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;YES&lt;/strong&gt;. This isn't a shocker\u2014it's a small comfort. In these ever-changing times, when uncertainty is the only guarantee and each new day threatens to land you in a strange, unforgiving world, tradition still reigns supreme on Thanksgiving. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;YES&lt;/strong&gt;. Forget what we said about traditionalism. 63.03% of you are happy to try new things. This Mexican, &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chile-rubbed-turkey\"&gt;chile-rubbed turkey&lt;/a&gt; is good enough to go from \"experiment\" to \"tradition\" in one meal flat. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;NO&lt;/strong&gt;. 59.33% of you are making brine-free birds. This left us crestfallen. We tried to tell you, we really did: &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/a-simple-brine\"&gt;wet&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/citrus-and-peppercorn-dry-brine\"&gt;dry&lt;/a&gt;, brines are divine. We even &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/brine-turkey\"&gt;made a video&lt;/a&gt; to show you how. And this is how you thank us? Harrumph. You're lucky this is a season of forgiveness. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;NO&lt;/strong&gt;. 86.13% of you are missing out, people! Cooking the turkey in parts guarantees that the whole bird stays moist, and it lets you experiment with different flavors. Get started with these &lt;a href=\" http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/braised-turkey-legs\"&gt;braised turkey legs&lt;/a&gt; or a &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/brined-roast-turkey-breast-with-confit-legs\"&gt;brined roast turkey breast with confit legs&lt;/a&gt;. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;STUFFING&lt;/strong&gt;. The average Thanksgiving meal comes with\u00A0&lt;strong&gt;5.3 sides&lt;/strong&gt;, and a whopping 56.89% of respondents declared that stuffing trumps all others\u2014so make a bunch of it! We have &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/holidays/slideshow/thanksgiving-stuffing-slideshow\"&gt;more than a dozen recipes&lt;/a&gt; to help you get stuffed. The verdict:\u00A0&lt;strong&gt;YES.&lt;/strong&gt; A number of you enjoy Thanksgiving from soup to nuts, but others were more than happy to air their grievances. Here are some of the best responses. \"Another family member makes green bean casserole but I won't eat it or stoop to making it.\" \"Candied sweet potatoes. Such a shame to ruin a lovely potato that way.\" \"I HATE BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND MADE THEM ONLY ONCE.\" (Give them &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/article/brussels-sprouts\"&gt;another try&lt;/a&gt;!) \"My pea salad that I've been making for nearly 27 years. I don't really hate it, but I wish someone else would do it.\" \"The cheese-sauce-covered canned asparagus for my mother-in-law. UGH! You make a Velveeta sauce, like for kids' mac-n-cheese. Drain 2 cans of Green Giant asparagus pieces, then dump them into the sauce. Stir, then top with Italian style bread crumbs, and serve. Oh, yum. I can hardly wait.\" \"We make a 'white gravy' with giblets for my sister's in-laws. It's absolutely DISGUSTING, but it's not Thanksgiving without it for them.\" Statistics have spoken: the average Thanksgiving dinner includes precisely &lt;strong&gt;2.3 pies&lt;/strong&gt;. Intriguingly, the average American family has 2.06 children\u2014meaning that, in theory, there's a pie for every child in the nation. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;NO&lt;/strong&gt;. 60.65% of respondents are too busy with dinner to think about tomorrow's breakfast. But that can change. These &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/yeasted-brown-butter-waffles\"&gt;yeasted brown-butter waffles&lt;/a&gt; are an easy, tasty way to greet the morning after\u2014and you can prep them in advance. The verdict: &lt;strong&gt;SOMETIMES&lt;/strong&gt;. We all try our best. 49.06% of you have been known to give a little something on occasion. Up your Thanks-gifting with this easy-to-make-ahead &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pumpkin-seed-brittle\"&gt;pumpkin seed brittle&lt;/a&gt;\u2014the crunchy way to say goodbye. &lt;strong&gt;52.62% &lt;/strong&gt;of respondents have faced a gatecrasher or two; &lt;strong&gt;45.49% &lt;/strong&gt;have had a guest get a little too tipsy. The lesson here may be to hire a bouncer and serve only water, but where's the fun in that? Better to roll with the punches\u2014and keep an eye on &lt;a href=\"http://www.bonappetit.com/drinks/slideshow/punch-recipes\"&gt;how much punch you pour&lt;/a&gt;. 78 of our readers confessed to having dropped the turkey on the floor, and of these, &lt;strong&gt;98.73%\u00A0&lt;/strong&gt;said they rinsed off the turkey and served it anyway. It's the ultimate moment to invoke the 5-second rule. Let's go to the write-ins on this one, which reflect an impressive, uh, variety of experience. First there's modesty: \"I will make something that someone else has made before but of course it is improved upon.\" Then some tipsy irreverence: \"Having a Manhattan (or three) with my mom as we ceremoniously place the dollar store pilgrim candlesticks that look exactly like my father on the table.\" A feat of derring-do: \"Going for a fall dip in the pool (fortified with some bourbon)!\" Another family prefers to compete; their 13-year-old's traditional triathlon \"includes darts, putting, laser tag, basketball dunks and poker. We have a both a adult and child winner. The children play old maid.\" Last but not least, one reader likes to ward off calorie guilt before it can start: \"I take a 'Pilgrim Pedal' spin class every year at 9:00\u2014then come home and cook all day.\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/slideshow/thanksgiving-2013-survey-results?slide=3>