Thanksgiving Blessings

We joyfully share these blessings, prayers, and invocations from diverse traditions, for meal times, gatherings, and Grateful Living. We wish you and yours a full-hearted and restorative Thanksgiving.

In a world where so many are hungry,
May we eat this food with humble hearts;
In a world where so many are lonely,
May we share this friendship with joyful hearts.
— Traditional, American

The greatest gift one can give is thanksgiving.
In giving gifts, we give what we can spare,
but in giving thanks we give ourselves.
Let us now go around the table
and share something
for which we are thankful.
— Inspired by Br. David Steindl-Rast

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life.
She supports our feet as we walk about upon her.
It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time.
To our mother, we send our greetings and our thanks.
Now our minds are one.
— Excerpt from Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

Gratitude before me,
gratitude behind me,
gratitude to the left of me,
gratitude to the right of me,
gratitude above me,
gratitude below me,
gratitude within me,
gratitude all around me.
— Angeles Arrien

The food which we are about to eat
Is Earth, Water and Sun, compounded through the alchemy of many plants.
Therefore Earth, Water and Sun will become part of us.
This food is also the fruit of the labor of many beings and creatures.
We are grateful for it.
May it give us strength, health, joy.
And may it increase our love.
— Unitarian Grace

Round the table
Peace and joy prevail,
May all who share
this season’s delight
enjoy countless more. 
— Chinese blessing

Love, we thank you now for love, love that stirs and soothes us, love that gathers us into all joy and delivers us from all brokenness. Love that hears the soundless language, love that imagines and dreams, that can conquer all and willingly surrenders everything. Love that brought us into our lives and love that will carry us home.
— Daphne Rose Kingma

Thank you for the wind and rain
and sun and pleasant weather,
thank you for this our food
and that we are together.
— Mennonite blessing

Let us pray for all to be happy,
to love one another,
to help each other,
to gain wisdom,
for all to receive god’s blessings,
to break free from the illusion
that is distracting us from our true nature.
No one shall go hungry,
no one will suffer,
abundance is with everyone
and all negativity shall be removed!
— Brian Abiraj

Divine Mother
Mother of the Universe
Bless us with peace
Within and without.
— Jalaja Bonheim

Blessing for the Fullness of This Day
I bless this day in the fullness of good it already contains, in the many occasions it offers to listen deeply, to be of service to others, to express gratitude moment by moment and to keep my mind so filled with love, beauty and joy that no negativity can find even the tiniest crack in which to set foot. I bless this day in the infinite opportunities it gives me to love: to love and bless every human I meet, every beast or bird I pass by, every plant I behold, for all are but the manifold expressions of the infinite Life that undergirds all. Truly, I bless this day for the wonderful adventure it can become as I walk through it with the eyes of wonder rather than boredom, use every opportunity to express peace rather than irritation, and chose love over fear. Thank you, Life, for this day.
— Pierre Pradervand

Autumn
and our hearts
are seeking grace.
All around us
nature bids us
change.
Accept and give thanks
for falling
into surrender.
Into trust
that we will be held
and our brokenness
made whole.
— Author Unknown

Earth Water Air and Fire combined to make this food.
Numberless beings gave their lives and labor that we may eat.
May we be nourished that we may nourish life.
— Roshi Joan Halifax

As we sit at table and rejoice in the
mercy and goodness of the one God, may
the bonds of friendship be strengthened,
may our fellowship be a light in the darkness,
and—most importantly—may we
remember that in opening ourselves to each
other we open ourselves to God.
— Traditional, Islam

For food that stays our hunger,
For rest that brings us ease,
For homes where memories linger,
We give our thanks for these.
— Traditional, American

Enveloped in Your Light, may I be a beacon to those in search of Light.
Sheltered in Your Peace, may I offer shelter to those in need of peace.
Embraced by Your Presence, so may I be present to others.
— Rabbi Rami Shapiro

May we join hands around the dinner table,
To pray for the strength and patience to love one another.
May our circle grow with every birth and union,
Into a community united by love, rather than blood.
May every hardship make our circle stronger.
May it teach us that whenever we reach out in need,
Our hands will always be clasped in the palms of others.
— Taz Tagore

The ritual is One.
The food is One.
We who offer the food are One.
The fire of hunger is also One.
All action is One.
We who understand this are One.
— Traditional, Hindu

This plate is filled with food.
I am aware that each morsel is the fruit of much hard work
By those who produced it.
— Thich Nhat Hanh

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

May God protect us, grant us wisdom’s fruit;
may we gain energy to know the Truth;
may our intellects grow clear and bright;
may we cherish no ill feelings toward anyone.
Om, peace, peace, peace be unto all.
— Taittiriya Upanishad 2.1.1

A tree sprouts leaves, blossoms, and bears fruit
Only by welcoming raindrops, sun, and air inside.
Help us to welcome hardship, solitude, and others into our lives;
Nourished by profound experience, we too will bear fruit.
—Taz Tagore

One more day to serve.
One more hour to love.
One more minute to praise.
For this day I am grateful.
If I awaken to the morning sun,
I am grateful.
— Mary Lou Kownacki, OSB

Dear Creator,
You, the borderless sea of substance,
we ask You to give to all the word that
which we need most — Peace.
— Dr. Maya Angelou

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything.
— Child’s mealtime blessing

Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving blessing? We would love for you to share it in the reflection area below.

Would you like to send a Thanksgiving eCard? Take a look at our seasonal collection.

We offer our heartfelt gratitude for these words of thanks and celebration to Pierre Pradervand and the Gentle Art of Blessing, Dance for All People, Seasons of Thanks, Graces and Blessings for Every Home by Taz Tagore, World Prayers, and A Grateful Heart: Daily Blessings for the Evening Meal from Buddha to the Beatles edited by M.J. Ryan.

Photos by Brooke Lark