Here's How You Can Preserve Your Thanksgiving Memories Like a National Treasure

Butterball is here to make your Thanksgiving memories last.

Butterball wants families to preserve their Thanksgiving memories and traditions and to be part of a national treasure—and you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to share your family’s stories.

In partnership with StoryCorps Studios, Butterball is inviting families and friends across the country to record conversations with someone important to them for its first-ever National Thanksgiving Archive.

“…we saw a unique opportunity to partner with StoryCorps Studios to create this archive – to remind us of the conversations, memories, and traditions that can bring us together, even if we’ve never felt further apart,” said Christa Leupen, director of purpose at Butterball.

Participants can choose to submit their recordings to the StoryCorps collection at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, where the largest collection of human voices in history is housed.

Butterball’s Turkey-Talk Line | Photo credit: Butterball

How to record your Thanksgiving conversation, as per StoryCorps

StoryCorps provides an easy guide for those who want to record their Thanksgiving conversations. Here’s how:

Choose who to interview: Select a person and schedule a time to record together. This could be a friend, family member, or even a stranger. Set aside about 1 hour.
Decide how to record: Choose whether the conversation will be in person or virtual. For virtual recording, send the link from the Virtual Recording Booth to the conversation partner.
Prepare the recording space: Set up a quiet, private space. Turn off notifications on the phone and computer, and have the interview questions ready. Ensure strong internet, a charged computer, and headphones if recording remotely.
Create an account and start recording: Click “Begin Recording” to create a free StoryCorps account and access the Virtual Recording Booth. For in-person recordings, begin when ready. For virtual recordings, send the link to the partner and begin once they join.

In addition to launching the National Thanksgiving Archive, Butterball is ready to help holiday hosts with the Turkey-Talk Line, available until December 24. Experts can be reached by calling 1-800-BUTTERBALL (1-800-288-8372), texting 844-877-3456, or visiting Butterball’s social media and website for support, recipes, and tips.