Nick Cannon is giving back to the less fortunate before Thanksgiving ... but he's not giving any love to some of the folks who started this whole holiday.
We got Nick on his way to volunteer Wednesday at the L.A. Mission's Thanksgiving event on Skid Row and our photog asked him about what Turkey Day means to him.
Nick joked ... "I don't f*** with pilgrims" ... and then he got real -- telling us giving back and spending time with family come first.
Dude practices what he preaches ... Nick's dishing out turkey dinners at an annual event to help the homeless and others struggling with some comfort on Thanksgiving.
As for his Thursday plans, Nick tells us he's going to spend his holiday eating with his loved ones ... just don't expect him to do the cooking, or be thankful for the Pilgrims.