The inbox is a battlefield during the holidays, and Thanksgiving serves as a crucial warm-up act for BFCM. With every brand vying for attention, your Thanksgiving email subject line isn’t just a title—it’s your entire sales pitch.
A generic “Happy Thanksgiving” simply won’t cut through the digital clutter.
That’s why in this article, we’ve shared 100 Thanksgiving email subject lines and the best practices to write them.
Boost open rates and recover more sales this Thanksgiving effortlessly with Retainful’s customizable Halloween email templates
100 Best Thanksgiving email subject lines
To increase your open rates and drive conversions during Thanksgiving, you need subject lines that are festive, urgent, and irresistible.
Here we’ve curated a list of 100 Thanksgiving email subject lines in 10 categories:
- Pure gratitude & appreciation
- Thanksgiving subject lines for sale & promotions
- Urgency & scarcity (Thanksgiving eve action)
- Recipe or food-themed subject lines for Halloween
- Turkey/food puns & playful tone
- Shipping & prep reminders Thanksgiving subject lines
- Educational/content subject lines for Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving subject lines for recovering abandoned carts
- Post-feast & leftover deals (Post-purchase Thanksgiving subjectlines)
- Warm B2B/professional Thanksgiving subject lines
Create, schedule, and personalize your Thanksgiving email sequences in minutes using Retainful’s pre-built workflows.
1. Pure gratitude & appreciation
- We’re Thankful for You ❤️ Happy Thanksgiving!
- Your Support Means the World to Us. Thank You.
- Wishing You a Day Full of Gratitude and Pie 🥧
- A Little Note to Say Thanks This Season.
- Giving Thanks for Your Presence in Our Community.
- Thanksgiving Blessings Sent Your Way.
- From Our Family to Yours: Warmest Thanksgiving Wishes.
- The Gratitude List: You’re at the Top.
- We’re Holding the Wishbone For You (And a Gift!).
- Why We’re Feeling Extra Thankful Today.
2. Thanksgiving subject lines for sale & promotions
- Gobble Up the Savings! 🦃 Our Thanksgiving Sale is ON.
- An Email Feast: Save 30% Off Everything!
- Your Pre-Feast Shopping Starts Now!
- Save Room for Sweet Deals This Thanksgiving!
- Stuff Your Cart, Not Just Your Face!
- Thanksgiving Treat Inside: A Special Discount.
- Up to 50% Off—Our Gift to You!
- Feast Your Eyes on This Limited-Time Offer!
- No Coupon Code Needed for These Savings.
- Extra Savings Just for Our Valued Customers.
Related reading: 10 Best Discount Email Templates + Examples
3. Urgency & scarcity (Thanksgiving eve action)
- Last Call! Our Thanksgiving Sale Disappears at Midnight.
- Tick-Tock! Time is Running Out on This Deal ⏳
- Almost Gone: Only 10 Left of Our Bestseller!
- Final Hours Before the Feast!
- 🚨 URGENT: Your Feast Expires Tonight.
- Sale Ends When the Turkey Comes Out!
- One Day Only: Our Thanksgiving Spectacular!
- Act Fast Before They Sell Out!
- Thanksgiving Eve Special—Ends 11:59 PM.
- Only 6 Hours Left to Save Big!
Related reading: 10 Best Back in Stock Email Examples (Tips + Free Templates)
4. Recipe or food-themed subject lines for Halloween
- 🦃 Our Secret Recipe for the Juiciest Turkey Ever.
- The Essential Guide to Thanksgiving Wine Pairings.
- Stop the Stress: Our Simple 3-Step Meal Plan.
- Leftover Genius: 5 Creative Turkey Sandwich Ideas.
- The Only Pumpkin Pie Recipe You’ll Ever Need.
- Cranberry Sauce Done Right: A New Twist.
- From Our Kitchen to Yours: Holiday Baking Tips.
- Thanksgiving Appetizers Your Guests Will Love.
- Don’t Forget the Gravy! A Pro Tip Inside.
- How to Avoid the Post-Dinner Food Coma.
Related reading: 100 Best Halloween email subject lines for 2025 (AI Prompts+sign-off ideas)
5. Turkey/food puns & playful tone
- Feast Mode Activated! Save Big Today.
- Let’s Get Basted (in savings)!
- Don’t Get Stuffed Before You See This Deal!
- This Deal is the Gravy on Top 🥔
- We’re Stuffed… with Great Deals!
- A Side Dish of Savings Just For You.
- Butter Up Your Cart with These Deals!
- It’s a Mashup of Our Best Prices!
- Don’t Fowl Up Your Holiday Shopping! 🐔
- Sweet Potato of a Deal Inside! 🍠
6. Shipping & prep reminders Thanksgiving subject lines
- Last Day to Order for Thanksgiving Delivery!
- Don’t Panic! Still Time for Ground Shipping.
- Gift Guide: What to Bring the Host(ess)?
- Your Thanksgiving Prep List is Ready.
- How to Host Thanksgiving Without Stress.
- Reminder: Get Your Order in By 5 PM!
- Shipping Update & Holiday Hours Inside.
- Quick Tip for a Stress-Free Holiday.
- Need a Last-Minute Gift? Digital Options Available!
- Your Table is Set: Make Sure Your Order Is Too!
Related reading: 6 Proven strategies to beat Black Friday shipping delays
7. Educational/content subject lines for Thanksgiving
- Our Favorite Family Tradition for the Holiday.
- DIY Decor That Will Impress Your Guests.
- 5 Ways to Beat Holiday Stress This Week.
- The History of Thanksgiving Dinner (and pie!)
- How to Cook the Perfect Turkey: A Cheat Sheet.
- Expert Tips for Pairing Wine with Dinner.
- What to Watch After the Football Game.
- Your Guide to Thanksgiving Table Settings.
- New Blog Post: The True Meaning of Thanks.
- Quick Hacks for Cleaning Up After the Feast.
8. Thanksgiving subject lines for recovering abandoned carts
- Your Cart is Waiting for the Feast! 🦃
- Don’t let your savings go cold! (Finish checkout)
- Still time to gobble up your order!
- Did you forget your holiday essentials?
- Left something behind? Finish before the deals do.
- Your pre-feast treats are still here!
- [Item Name] is waiting for a home
- Don’t make us hold the turkey! (Complete order)
- A sweet deal is still in your cart 🥧
- Last call for your items before Black Friday hits!
Related reading: 15 Cart Abandonment SMS Templates to Recover Lost Revenue
9. Post-feast & leftover deals (Post-purchase Thanksgiving subjectlines)
- Post-Feast & Leftover Deals
- Leftovers? Nope, Just Our Best Prices.
- Deal Recovery: Shop Now and Relax.
- Don’t Stop Eating—or Saving!
- Time to Unbutton Your Pants (and shop).
- The Post-Turkey Nap Sale is Live!
- Your Black Friday Starts Right Now.
- Cyber Week Begins Early for You.
- The Best Kind of Leftovers: Savings.
- Did Someone Say Dessert? (Sweet Deals Inside)
- Post-Thanksgiving Recharge (with a discount).
Related reading: 9 Best Post-Purchase Email Examples With Proven Retention
10. Warm B2B/professional Thanksgiving subjectlines
- Warm Wishes to You and Your Team This Thanksgiving.
- Wishing You a Restful Holiday Weekend.
- Our Sincere Thanks for Your Partnership.
- Wishing You a Peaceful Thanksgiving Break.
- Happy Thanksgiving from the [Your Company Name] Team.
- We’re Grateful for Our Clients and Partners.
- A Note of Professional Appreciation This Season.
- Enjoy the Holiday! (Our Offices Are Closed).
- Thank You for a Great Year of Collaboration.
- Best Wishes for the Holiday Season Ahead.
Related Reading: 15 Best Email Marketing Examples for 2025
6 Best practices for writing Thanksgiving email subject lines
The most effective Thanksgiving subject lines leverage holiday sentiment while using core email marketing tactics like urgency, personalization, and brevity.
Here are 6 best practices for writing Thanksgiving email subject lines:
- Optimize for clarity and length
- Evoke holiday emotion & keywords
- Incorporate urgency and scarcity
- Personalize and segment
- Leverage emojis and symbols
- Test everything
1. Optimize for clarity and length
- Be concise (mobile-first): Aim for 40 to 50 characters (or around 6–8 words). Since over half of emails are opened on mobile, shorter subject lines prevent truncation and get the message across instantly.
- Be descriptive: Don’t be too vague. Clearly communicate the core value: Is it a discount? A thank you? A recipe? (e.g., “Thanksgiving Treat Inside: 20% Off” is better than “A holiday surprise for you”).
Related reading: 10 Email Design Best Practices for 2025
2. Evoke holiday emotion & keywords
- Use seasonal terms: Integrate strong, recognizable Thanksgiving keywords to boost relevance and recognition.
- Gratitude: Thankful, Grateful, Thanks, Blessings.
- Food/feast: Gobble, Feast, Pie, Turkey, Gravy, Stuffed, Leftovers.
- Adopt a warm tone: Thanksgiving is a holiday about family and gratitude. Use sincere language (especially for appreciation emails) to build trust and goodwill.
- Timing: Pre-Feast, Thanksgiving Eve, Post-Dinner, Black Friday Sneak Peek.
Related reading: 10 Email Frequency Best Practices For 2025
3. Incorporate urgency and scarcity
- Time sensitivity:
- Examples: “Last Call,” “Ends Tonight,” “Final Hours,” “24-Hour Flash Sale.”
- Scarcity (FOMO):
- Examples: “Selling Out Fast,” “Almost Gone,” “Last Chance to Save.”
4. Personalize and segment
- Use personalization tags:
- Example: “Sarah, your Thanksgiving surprise is waiting!”
- Segment your audience:
- Pre-Thanksgiving: Focus on preparation, shipping deadlines, and early sales.
- Thanksgiving Day: Focus on gratitude or day-specific flash sales.
- Post-Thanksgiving (Evening): Focus on “leftover” deals and Black Friday emails.
Related reading: Email Segmentation: Complete Guide for 70% More Revenue
5. Leverage emojis and symbols
- Use sparingly: A single, relevant emoji (like 🦃, 🥧, 🧡, or 🛍️) can help your email stand out in a crowded inbox and quickly convey the email’s theme. Limit yourself to one or two.
- Rendering test: Ensure your chosen emoji renders correctly across major email clients and operating systems.
6. Test everything
- Isolate variables: Only change one element in your subject line per test (e.g., with an emoji vs. one without; test urgency vs. curiosity).
- Key metrics: Focus on optimizing for Open Rate (OR). Track Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Conversions to ensure the subject line
accurately reflects the email content.
Related reading: 12 Most Important Email Marketing Metrics & KPIs to Track
Customize your Thanksgiving alerts effortlessly using Retainful’s ready-to-use templates to land more sales.
Wrapping up!!
Thanksgiving is more than just a single day; it’s a full cycle of preparation, celebration, and the official kickoff to BFCM sales.
By dividing your email strategy into the 10 focused categories outlined above, you ensure every message you send lands with maximum impact.
Remember, the goal is not just to be seen, but to resonate. Use emojis, inject urgency, and don’t forget the power of a simple “Thank You.”
Also read:
- What is Behavioral Targeting? (Examples + How to do)
- What is Behavioral Segmentation? (Types + Examples)
- What is Targeted Email Marketing? Beginne
Frequently asked questions
A great Thanksgiving subject line combines gratitude, clarity, and relevance—e.g., “We’re Thankful for You + 20% Off” or “Gobble Up These Exclusive Deals.”
Use a warm tone, insert holiday keywords (thankful, feast, gratitude), keep it short, and if relevant, add urgency or a special offer.
Yes—sparingly. One well-chosen emoji (🦃, 🧡, 🥧) can help the line stand out, but too many can look spammy.
Aim for 40–50 characters (or about 6–8 words) so it displays well on mobile devices.
Send in the lead-up to Thanksgiving (Tuesday/Wednesday), and optionally early Thanksgiving Day, to reach inboxes before the holiday rush.
Run A/B tests—changing only one element at a time (emoji, length, urgency)—and compare open rates over a 24–48 hour period.
Avoid overly vague language, all caps, too many emojis or punctuation, and spammy words like “FREE” or “URGENT” that may trigger filters.
Yes, B2C often leans emotional or deal-driven (“Stuff your cart with savings”), while B2B should feel genuine and relational (“Thankful for our partnership this year”).
