Thanksgiving is the time of year when Americans gather together to give thanks, and also to argue politics, yell at the TV, listen to that drunk uncle slander whole ethnic groups, and fight their neighbors in Wal-Mart parking lots during Black Friday sales. Thanksgiving can be a miserable day, which made Estately wonder if there were states where conditions on the ground increased the likelihood of a terrible Thanksgiving. We crunched the numbers using the six criteria below to determine if the state you live in is prime habitat for a downer of a Thanksgiving.
1. Likelihood of a family food poisoning episode
-Most cases of salmonella per capita derived from poultry in the past five years (CDC)
2. Likelihood of relatives getting drunk and making a scene
-Prevalence of binge drinking among adults per capita (CDC)
3. Likelihood of political arguments
-States with most even split between democratic and republican voters (2012 Presidential election results)
4. Dietary restrictions impacting meal quality
-States with highest rates of diabetes (CDC) and highest percentage of vegetarians/vegans (Facebook user data)
5. Likelihood of favorite NFL team losing on Thanksgiving
-Losing percentage for Thanksgiving Day games of residents’ favorite teams(s)—(National Football League, Facebook)
6. Likelihood of guests/cooks abandoning meal to shop a Black Friday sale
-Percentage of Facebook users expressing interest in Black Friday sales—(Facebook user data)
