Whether you’re with friends, relatives, or your chosen family on Thanksgiving, the holiday is best spent with those you love—and no one knows that better than Oprah. Every year, she celebrates the day with graduates from South Africa’s Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, whom she lovingly calls her “daughter-girls.”

This year was no different—Oprah hosted a memorable Thanksgiving at her home in Santa Barbara. We’re taking you inside the gathering here, with details on everything from the unforgettable menu to the unique way Oprah said grace this year.

preview for Oprah and Her Daughter-Girls Form a "Thanksgiving Welcoming Committee"


The fun kicked off with a warm greeting from the “Thanksgiving Welcoming Committee.” This year, the group serenaded a new guest, Paul, daughter-girl Palesa’s spouse, with an African song.

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Instead of saying grace before digging into the Thanksgiving feast, Oprah had the group sing along to a moving song provided by Thando Dlomo, a beloved daughter-girl, who wasn’t able to make it to the celebration this year because of a work commitment.

“I just want to say thank you to everybody at this table. Thank you for your presence. I know everybody has had their own journeys here. And everybody’s journey has brought them, you know, from multiple directions,” Oprah said. “And so I would like for us to just take a moment to think about the journey that you have made this year to be sitting at this table, and the goodness and grace that has put you here.”

Oprah also shared why the holiday’s theme is Goodness of God Thanksgiving this year.

“And so Thando sent me this beautiful song from CeCe Winans, who I’ve known for a long time. CeCe and BeBe volunteered to sing at my father’s funeral,” Oprah explained. “So Thando sent me this beautiful song from CeCe that I thought was a blessing on my life; that’s why she sent it. We exchange songs all the time, and I thought it would be a wonderful blessing for the table. Instead of giving a blessing for the table, we are going to sing along with CeCe.”

preview for Oprah Gives Gifts to Her Thanksgiving Guests


In the spirit of generosity, Oprah treated her daughter-girls to several of her favorite luxe gifts. She handed out boxes of products from Dr. Barbara Sturm, a skincare brand Oprah loves so much that she selected three Sturm products as her 2022 Favorite Things.
Other presents included eyebrow products from Anastasia Beverly Hills and another pick from Oprah's Favorite Things: Ray-Ban's smart sunglasses, which let you shoot photos and video, stream music, and more.

preview for Oprah Shows Us What's for Thanksgiving Dinner


Thanksgiving is all about the food, and Oprah’s chef-created spread did not disappoint. There were tons of enticing dishes for every palate, including turkey, heirloom apple salad, cornbread stuffing, macaroni and cheese, truffled potato scallops (Oprah says this is her favorite), plus vegan options. And don’t even get us started on the pies: Guests could choose from the sweet potato, pecan, or apple variety.

We think this Thanksgiving celebration was just as special as the guests around Oprah’s table this year.

Headshot of Jane Burnett
Jane Burnett
Assistant Editor

Jane Burnett is an Assistant Editor at Oprah Daily, where she writes a variety of lifestyle content for the editorial team. She's a journalist with a pop culture sweet tooth—when she isn't catching up on celebrity news, she's usually listening to a podcast! Jane was previously an on-air reporter in local news, and worked at Thrive Global, Ladders News, and Reuters. She also interned at CNBC through the Emma Bowen Foundation, and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).