Jennie-O Helps Families Explore Their Roots This Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, the traditional turkey dinner is getting a thoughtful twist. Turkey brand Jennie-O has joined forces with MyHeritage, the genealogy and DNA platform, to help Americans reflect on their family roots while gathering around the table.

The Jennie-O Thanksgiving ancestry promotion, announced this month, encourages families to explore their cultural backgrounds and the traditions that influence what appears on their holiday menus. Each Jennie-O turkey purchase includes access to a limited-time MyHeritage membership, allowing users to trace their lineage or revisit family stories before they carve the bird.

Company representatives say the idea grew out of a desire to connect modern holiday traditions with the diverse cultural influences that shaped them. “Thanksgiving has always been about connection — to family, to our traditions, and to where we come from,” said Nicole Behne, vice president of marketing at Jennie-O. “We wanted to find a way to honor that spirit of togetherness.”

As part of the campaign, Jennie-O and MyHeritage hosted a Thanksgiving dinner on Ellis Island, featuring recipes inspired by the guests’ ancestral homelands. The event highlighted the stories of immigrants and families whose cultures have come together to define the modern American holiday meal.

The effort follows findings from the brand’s Roots and Recipes report, which found that most Americans include at least one dish that reflects their cultural heritage in their Thanksgiving spread. The collaboration aims to tap into that interest, inviting people to think about how food helps tell their family’s story.

MyHeritage’s head of brand partnerships, Jessica Otis, said the collaboration offers “an accessible way for people to engage with their ancestry during one of the most family-centered times of year.”

Consumers who want to participate can visit JennieO.com, where select products include details on accessing the MyHeritage promotion.

While the initiative has clear marketing appeal, it also speaks to a broader cultural shift in how Americans think about Thanksgiving — less as a uniform tradition and more as a celebration shaped by personal and familial history. For many, the stories shared at the table matter just as much as the meal itself.