Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26, which gives you a little time to figure out what to say to your team and whether you want to send anything along with it.
Most companies send a Thanksgiving message to employees the morning of the holiday, usually with a stock photo of a turkey. Nobody hates it. But at the same time, nobody remembers it either. That said, if you want to make your Thanksgiving greetings a little bit more memorable, why not accompany them with a physical item like swag?
That’s what we’ll discuss in this blog: 25 Thanksgiving messages you can copy, grouped by who you’re sending them to, with swag ideas for each group.
Swag Turns a Thanksgiving Message Into Something Employees Keep
Thanksgiving is about telling people you’re grateful to have them in your life. Families do it around a table. Companies often do it with a 9 a.m. email and call it done. Your employees will spend the holiday hearing from the people closest to them. Then Monday comes, and the only thing waiting from work is the same group message everyone already forgot about. Swag gives that thank-you something physical to go with it, which can make a simple Thanksgiving message feel a little more memorable.
Here are a few reasons why the combination of messages and swag works:
It reminds employees they’re part of the team - Thanksgiving naturally puts the focus on family and the people who matter. Extending that feeling to your employees gives them another reason to feel connected to the people they work with. A thoughtful note helps, but having something physical to go with it makes the gesture feel more personal.
It gives remote employees something tangible - If you have remote employees, then you know they don’t get team lunch, pie in the break room, or a quick thank-you at their desk. A package at their door reminds them they’re still part of the team, even when they’re not there in person. That small gesture can go a long way toward making remote employees feel included in the moments the rest of the team is celebrating together.
It gets ahead of the December gift pileup - Thanksgiving comes before the holiday gifting rush, which means your package isn't competing with five other boxes from other companies or whoever else decided December was the month to send swag.
The thank-you lasts longer than the message - An email gets buried, but a useful tumbler, hoodie, or blanket can stick around for months. Put the note in the box, and the two work together.
It makes the gift useful, not just festive - One good item is better than a box full of branded stuff nobody asked for. Remember that your goal isn't to make Thanksgiving look like a trade show. Pick something people would actually want to receive.
That last point is the one to keep in mind when you're picking the swag. The best Thanksgiving gift is the one people actually want to use.
25 Thanksgiving Messages and Swag to Send to Employees
Wondering what you should write to your employees this Thanksgiving? Well, the rule is simple: name something specific the person did this year, say thank you, and stop there. Vague praise reads as filler, and your team can tell the difference between a note written for them and one written for everyone.
If you’re struggling with what to write, then here are 25 Thanksgiving messages you can send to your team. Just swap in your company name or your employee’s name and adjust them until they sound like you!
Short Thanksgiving messages for employees
These work well for Slack DMs, handwritten cards, or a quick note added to a delivery. A short, happy Thanksgiving message to employees can still feel personal if it says something specific to the person.
Your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. You've helped (company name) grow this year. Happy Thanksgiving!
You're an invaluable part of the team. Thank you for everything you bring to (company name). Happy Thanksgiving!
Your hard work and dedication have made a real difference this year. Thank you for all that you do. Happy Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, (company name) wants to say a big thank you for everything you've done this year.
(Company name) is better because of people like you. Thank you for all that you do. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving gift ideas to send with a short thank-you note:
Thanksgiving messages for the whole team
When you're writing one note for a whole department, make it about something the team actually accomplished together. A Thanksgiving message to a team should feel like it was written for that group, not like a message you could send to any department.
Thank you for everything you've accomplished together this year. Your teamwork has made a real difference to (company name). We're grateful to have you on the team. Happy Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, we want to thank you for the way you've supported each other and kept things moving this year. We're lucky to have a team like yours. Enjoy the holiday!
The work you do individually matters, but so does the way you show up for each other. Thank you for making (company name) a better place to work. Happy Thanksgiving, team!
From the big wins to the everyday work that keeps things moving, you've accomplished a lot together this year. Thank you for being a team we can count on. Happy Thanksgiving!
We're grateful for everything this team has brought to (company name) this year. Thank you for the hard work, support, and teamwork you've shown along the way. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving gift ideas for a full-team send:
Remote employee Thanksgiving messages
Pew Research Center found that 75% of employees whose jobs can be done from home work remotely at least some of the time. That means your Thanksgiving message may be reaching someone at their kitchen table, home office, or halfway around the world. Make it feel personal anyway.
Even from miles away, the work you do has a real impact on the team. Thank you for everything you've contributed this year. Happy Thanksgiving!
We may not share an office, but we're still working toward the same goals. Thank you for everything you bring to the team, wherever you are. Happy Thanksgiving!
Remote work takes plenty of discipline, and you've brought that to the job all year. Thank you for staying focused, supporting the team, and getting things done. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
We're grateful to have you on the team, even if we don't get to see you in person every day. Thanks for everything you do, (employee's name). Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy the time off!
A quick Thanksgiving note from the team to say that your work doesn't go unnoticed, even from a distance. We're glad to have you with us. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Related: 12 Virtual Employee Appreciation Ideas For A Remote Team
Thanksgiving gift ideas for remote and international teams:
You might also want to consider gift cards, as preferences vary, depending on where your recipient is located.
Thanksgiving messages with media
Attach the image, keep the caption short, and send it where your team already talks. A good meme or GIF gives the message a little personality without turning it into a whole production.
Happy Thanksgiving! We’re really glad you’re part of the team. Thanks for everything you’ve brought to (company name) this year. (Attach a “happy to be here” meme or GIF.)
We’re thankful for the work you put in and the wins you helped create this year. Happy Thanksgiving! (Attach a “success” or celebratory meme or GIF.)
Happy Thanksgiving! You make (company name) a better place to work, and we’re grateful to have you here. (Attach a vacation, paradise, or “we made it” meme or GIF.)
Giving credit where it’s due: thank you for the skills, ideas, and energy you bring to the team. Happy Thanksgiving! (Attach a “thank you” meme or GIF.)
Before everyone disappears for turkey, we wanted to say thanks for all the work you’ve put in this year. Hope you get some well-earned time off. Happy Thanksgiving! (Attach a “hard work pays off” meme or GIF.)
Thanksgiving gift ideas for a Slack-first send:
Gift cards
Swag store credit
New employee Thanksgiving messages
Someone who started in September doesn’t have a year’s worth of accomplishments to point to yet, and that’s okay. Thank them for joining, make them feel welcome, and leave the big year-in-review speech for later. If their welcome swag hasn’t gone out yet, this is also a good excuse to bundle it with a new employee welcome swag kit.
You may be new here, but we’re already glad you’re part of the team. Thanks for choosing (company name), and happy Thanksgiving!
We’re so glad you joined (company name) this year. We hope your first few months have been a great start. Happy Thanksgiving, (employee’s name)!
You haven’t been with us long, but we’re already excited to have you on the team. Here’s to everything ahead. Happy Thanksgiving!
This Thanksgiving, we’re especially thankful for the people who joined us this year. We’re glad you’re here, (employee’s name). Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for choosing to be part of (company name). We’re looking forward to everything we’ll accomplish together. Happy Thanksgiving, (employee’s name)!
Related: The Ultimate Guide to the Best New Hire Swag Kits
Thanksgiving gift ideas for new employees:
When should you send your Thanksgiving message and swag?
Aim to have both the message and the swag reach your employees during the week of November 16, before people start traveling or taking time off. You can write the message closer to Thanksgiving, but you’ll need to start the swag much earlier. Place bulk orders by early October and On Demand orders by late October.
The way you send the message will depend on how your employees receive the swag:
Bulk swag and swag kits: Give your team around five weeks before shipping for production, artwork approval, and kitting. If you want the message inside the box, print it on an insert card and have it packed with each order. Finalize the wording early since custom inserts need additional proofing time.
On Demand swag: Give your employees around three weeks to order and receive their items. Since each order ships individually, send your Thanksgiving message by email or Slack around the same week you expect the swag to arrive.
Gift cards: You can send these the same day, which makes them useful for late additions or anyone you missed in the original send. Include your Thanksgiving message in the same email or Slack post as the gift card.
Don’t forget Canadian Thanksgiving
Canadian Thanksgiving happens much earlier (typically on the second Monday of October). In 2026, it falls on a Monday, October 12. If there isn’t enough time for you to work with your swag vendor and produce physical swag, you can send a gift card for Canadian Thanksgiving itself and still include those employees in your broader November appreciation send.
Running Your Thanksgiving Gifting Through PerkUp
Once you’ve picked the Thanksgiving messages and decided to send swag, there’s still a lot to organize. Who gets what? What’s the budget? Where is everything going? PerkUp handles those details in one place, from choosing the swag to getting it delivered.
Here’s what that looks like for a Thanksgiving send:
Swag flexibility - Event swag, bulk swag, On Demand swag, a branded swag store, swag kits, and gift cards are all available on PerkUp, so you don’t have to juggle multiple vendors.
A catalog that covers every budget - PerkUp offers 1,000+ On Demand items, thousands of bulk options, and 5,000+ gift cards from brands like Amazon, Uber Eats, Grab, and Flipkart. This gives you thousands of options to choose from for Thanksgiving.
Warehouses in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, India, China, and Australia - Thanks to its warehouses, PerkUp’s regional fulfillment reaches 65+ countries, so a tumbler headed to your recipient will arrive as a domestic delivery, avoiding customs issues and delays.
Duties prepaid wherever possible - Shipping and customs are handled on PerkUp's side, so you and your recipient don’t have to worry about extra fees.
200+ integrations - PerkUp can be integrated with 200+ integrations, including Workday, Rippling, BambooHR, ADP, HiBob, and Paylocity, plus Slack, Okta SSO, and Amazon Business.
Automated milestone gifting - New hire kits, birthdays, and work anniversaries fire off HRIS dates, so you can automate sending swag every Thanksgiving.
Budget and permission control - You can set a per-recipient amount, cap what each manager can spend, and control which swag items appear for which country or department.
An in-house design agency - PerkUp’s own designers can help you with your logo placement, seasonal artwork, and custom kit packaging. This can help you in ensuring brand consistency for all your swag items, not just the ones you send on Thanksgiving.
Custom sourcing - You can also request specialty and artisan items outside the standard catalog, so you can have something more unique to send to your recipients.
And Thanksgiving doesn't have to be a one-off. The same setup can handle new hire kits, birthdays, work anniversaries, client gifts, and the rest of your holiday gifting throughout the year!
How other teams have sent swag with PerkUp
While these PerkUp client projects weren’t Thanksgiving sends specifically, each one gives you an idea of how PerkUp successfully fulfills swag orders.
HigherVisibility
HigherVisibility chose one Stanley Quencher in Ash for its 2024 holiday gift instead of sending a box filled with several smaller items. Before employees knew what they were getting, the team teased the gift with a blurred image and a question mark. Employees then redeemed the Stanley through PerkUp and had it shipped directly to them.
For Thanksgiving, you could do the same thing with the buffalo plaid blanket or Yankee Candle.
Euna
Euna Solutions celebrated Employee Appreciation Day by launching a swag store where more than 650 employees could choose the swag they wanted.
That setup works well for Thanksgiving, too! Build a small fall collection, give everyone a budget, and let employees choose what they’d actually like to receive.
Hiro
Hiro’s 2024 Holiday Swag Boxes combined several seasonal items into one employee gift.
For Thanksgiving, you could pair the buffalo plaid blanket, fuzzy socks, a candle, and one of the messages above printed on an insert card.
Conclusion
You don't need to overthink the message. Pick the ones that fit your audience, add the names, and send them. On the other hand, the swag deserves a little more thought. It's the part of your Thanksgiving thank-you that people can actually keep, use, and remember after the email gets buried.
If your team spans multiple countries and last year's gifting turned into a shipping mess, see how PerkUp can handle the logistics. And if you're already planning December for the winter holidays, the ultimate guide to planning holiday swag for employees is for you.
Thanksgiving Swag and Messaging FAQs
Can you send Thanksgiving swag to employees outside the US?
Yes! The easiest way to handle global gifting is to fulfill from the recipient’s region instead of shipping everything from one country. PerkUp has warehouses in the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, Europe, India, China, and Australia, with fulfillment across 65+ countries. Duties are prepaid wherever possible, too, so your employees aren’t left with a surprise bill.
Should Thanksgiving swag be On Demand or bulk?
It depends on how predictable your headcount is. On Demand lets you order exactly what you need, which works well when your list is still changing. It’s best if you only have a month left to prepare. Bulk makes more sense when you know how many people you’re sending to and want a lower cost per item, and when you have months in advance to send swag. You can also use both for the same program through PerkUp. We break down the differences in On Demand vs. bulk swag for the holidays.
Should employees pick their own Thanksgiving swag?
For a one-time Thanksgiving send, a curated gift can keep things simple and make the unboxing feel consistent. If you’re gifting throughout the year, giving your employees a choice can work better. They can pick the item, size, and color they actually want, which means less unwanted swag sitting in drawers. You can do this through PerkUp’s swag store.
Can you automate Thanksgiving and other holiday sends?
You can automate recurring employee gifts like new hire kits, birthdays, and work anniversaries through HRIS integrations. Thanksgiving is a fixed-date holiday, so you’ll still need to schedule the send, but your employee list, addresses, and budget rules can already be in place. That means less manual work when November rolls around. Thanks to PerkUp’s 200+ integrations and automated milestone gifting, you can easily run this for your campaigns as well.
