Thanksgiving dinner, reflecting connection and familial ties in itself, takes place, usually, around a large table in American culture. This setting reinforces kinship, sharing this meal face-to-face, connecting and talking and sharing common obligations that define the relationships around the table. Across cultures, sharing a meal is a sign of intimacy and kinship, and It happens in all different settings and in unique ways with varying degrees of strength of relationships.

Lara, Ana-Maurine, “How has anthropology created, defined, and challenged the idea of kinship and family?”, Lecture at the University of Oregon, November 2, 2017