The centerpiece of contemporary Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada is a large meal, generally centered around a large roasted turkey. The majority of the dishes in the traditional American version of Thanksgiving dinner are made from foods native to the New World, as according to tradition the Pilgrims received these foods from the Native Americans. However, many of the classic traditions attributed to the first Thanksgiving are actually myths introduced later.

According to what traditionally is known as "The First Thanksgiving," the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony contained turkey, waterfowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. William Bradford noted that, "besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many." Many of the foods that were included in that feast (except, notably, the seafood) have since gone on to become staples of the modern Thanksgiving dinner.

The use of the turkey in the USA for Thanksgiving precedes Lincoln's nationalization of the holiday in 1863. Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that no "Citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day," and many of the Founding Fathers (particularly Benjamin Franklin) had high regard for the wild turkey as an American icon, but turkey was uncommon as Thanksgiving fare until after 1800. By 1857, turkey had become part of the traditional dinner in New England.

The Neistat Brothers, Casey Neistat (born in New London, Connecticut, on March 25, 1981) and Van Neistat (born Van Paul Moody in Augusta, Maine, on March 22, 1975), are filmmakers based in New York City. Their self-titled television show, The Neistat Brothers, debuted on HBO in 2010. The pair have created over two hundred films, according to their website, most notably iPod's Dirty Secret, focusing on Apple's policy on replacing iPod batteries, and Bike Thief, chronicling the ease with which they steal their own bicycle. Their films have been shown in film festivals, art museums and various institutions around the world.

In July 2008 Home Box Office HBO purchased a television series entitled The Neistat Brothers. The eight episode series was created by Casey Neistat, Van Neistat and Tom Scott. Written and directed by Casey and Van the show is autobiographical and told from the first person. Each of the eight episodes is made up of short stories about the brothers lives. The show premiered June 4, 2010 at midnight on HBO.