SOS: I've been invited at the last minute to a Thanksgiving dinner, what gift should I buy?

Thanksgiving food can be quite filling.

You should avoid wearing anything that is too tight.

Put on something cute & comfortable.

-We don't give gifts for Thanksgiving. However, If you want you can bring a housewarming gift.

-Don't cook. Bring wine or dessert.

Honestly just be comfortable, if they really wanted a specific dress code, food dish, or present they shouldn't have told you in the last minute. Just bring something easy, a nice box of chocolate? I wouldn't beat myself up over this, especially as I find doing this quite disrespectful. As it stresses out guests needlessly at best, and it makes them feel shoehorned in as an afterthought at worst. Not to mention it gives the impression they don't value my potential plans, and should drop everything for their party.

You can never go wrong with a bottle of wine or chocolates. For an occasion dinner I usually err on the side of business casual, unless I know the host is more formal. Would also pick something comfortable, I like dresses because they hide bloating if it's the right one, honestly I love dresses because they can be so comfortable but be formal enough for any setting.

Ask if they want you to bring food or drink. If so, bring the nicest one of that thing you can reasonably get in a sufficient quantity to suppose that your host could reasonably offer that thing to each expected guest.

Example: if your host is expecting 6 adults and needs dessert items, a dessert wine or 6 cupcakes (if food or drink are requested for dessert) would be appreciated and appropriate.

Or

A card thanking them for inviting you during a season of thanksgiving for the blessings experienced during the year and gratitude for those blessings if there is no instruction from your host. I sometimes keep blank thank you cards in fall coloring for this purpose.

This holiday doesn’t call for anything else. I have never heard of any other request for this holiday.

Etiquette rules to keep in mind:

Don't go extremely posh or too cheap with items you bring if you don't think it would vibe with your host's lifestyle or bring something that would trigger common allergies or expected sensitive vegan guests. It shows an attention to detail that excellent hosts appreciate.

If your host is vegan and you are not, bring a vegan item you have tried and like for the other guests to try.

If your host is not vegan, and you are, only bring an item you like if your host is ok with it, if you are willing to eat it, & genuinely encourage other guests to try it without a holier than thou attitude.

If your host is not vegan, you are not vegan/vegetarian, and no expected guests have any kind of food allergies, sensitivities, or are not vegan/vegetarian/etc, then you're in the clear to bring whatever.

Source: life long American with generations of family traditions for Thanksgiving