I found these fun and curious Thanksgiving facts and thought I'd share. I hope everyone who celebrates it enjoys a wonderful day!
The first American Company to sponsor a Thanksgiving Day Parade was Gimbel’s Department Stores. The parade first took place in 1920 in the city of Philadelphia, Pa. The famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in1924.
The editor of the women’s magazine “The Godey’s Lady’s Book” is said to have bugged Congress for years with letters and messages to various members concerning establishing a National Holiday called Thanksgiving in honor of all the blessings that flowed from the Pilgrim settler’s establishment of a new way of life. Her name was Sarah Hale and she stayed true to her mission until President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. It was not until President Franklin Roosevelt that a bill actually was signed making it a National Holiday in the 1940’s.
Indian Corn…..the colored ears of corn seen hanging from many doorways during the Fall is for decoration only and should not be eaten.
Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday it is a Fall celebration holiday that sets aside special time for family and the blessings of freedom in a new land for all people who come here to live free
History states that only 5 women Pilgrims survived the first year at the Plymouth settlement and they were the first ones to cook and prepare the first meager celebration meal, in 1621. Journals say the celebration lasted 3 days!
Did you know it is a Presidential Tradition that started with President Truman in 1947, to pardon a turkey each year and send it to a public farm named Frying Pan Park, in Herndon, Va
History recounts that the Pilgrims really didn’t wear funny hats we see on them in re-enactments
Only 50 of the 102 original Pilgrims survived to participate in the first Thanksgiving, so accounts tell us. The Wampanoag outnumbered the Pilgrims on the feast
The Mayflower was not built to transport people. Originally it was built to be a wine transport ship.
- The present Plymouth Rock is only the size of a car engine and has cracked 3 times since the Pilgrims first landed
The Pilgrims didn’t serve Pumpkin Pie in 1621. This is a fairly modern tradition of Thanksgiving
The traditional cornucopia was a curved goat's horn filled to brim with fruits and grains. According to Greek legend, Amalthea (a goat) broke one of her horns and offered it to Greek God Zeus as a sign of reverence. As a sign of gratitude, Zeus later set the goat's image in the sky also known as constellation Capricorn. Cornucopia is the most common symbol of a harvest festival. A Horn shaped container, it is filled with abundance of the Earth's harvest. It is also known as the 'horn of plenty’.
Here's one of those funny Thanksgiving facts: Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
Turducken, a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, is becoming more popular in Thanksgiving (originated in Louisiana). A turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture (although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird).
Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.
91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
There are regional differences as to the "stuffing" (or "dressing") traditionally served with the turkey. Southerners generally make theirs from cornbread, while in other parts of the country white bread is the base. One or several of the following may be added: oysters, apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery and/or other vegetables, sausage or the turkey's giblets.
The North American holiday season (generally the Christmas shopping season in the U.S.) traditionally begins when Thanksgiving ends, on "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving); this tradition has held forth since at least the 1930s.
On the West Coast of the US, Dungeness crab is common as an alternate main dish instead of turkey, as crab season starts in early November.
A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.
More than 40 million green bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving.
Twenty percent of cranberries eaten are eaten on Thanksgiving. American Indians however, did not eat cranberries but found them useful as fabric dye.
Fifty percent of Americans put the stuffing inside the Turkey.
The 'wishbone' of the turkey is used in a good luck ritual on Thanksgiving Day.
The Pilgrims brought barrels of beer with them.
Replies
You know, I wish people really would remember that the Christmas Holiday season begins after Thanksgiving.......
Gosh I was so upset this year when stores were selling Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations all at the same time, not to mention, insulted when Santa's Enchanted Forest opened on October 29 and their slogan for opening was bring your child to Trick or Treat with Santa ... Really????
When did we loose the magic of the Holidays, and turned into a commercial opportunity to sell everything at once?
I loved Christmas decors the day after Thanksgiving......all that has been lost now that houses are lit up since November 1 and Christmas tree tents have been set up for weeks