Fun Thanksgiving Facts
Did you know that the first Thanksgiving feast lasted for three days?
Turkey was not the main dish at the first Thanksgiving; it was venison.
The first Thanksgiving feast was attended by both Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Thanksgiving became a national holiday in the United States in 1863.
More than 50 million turkeys are consumed in America during Thanksgiving each year.
The reason Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November is because President Lincoln proclaimed it so in 1863.
The official Thanksgiving parade in New York City has been held annually since 19
8. The tradition of pardoning a turkey began with President Lincoln sparing a Thanksgiving turkey’s life at the request of his young son.
The average American consumes around 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving day.
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is the busiest shopping day of the year in the United States.
The heaviest turkey ever recorded weighed 86 pounds.
Americans spend around $2.87 billion on Thanksgiving dinner every year.
The idea of football games on Thanksgiving originated in the late 1800s.
The longest Thanksgiving table was 1,669 feet and 9 inches long.
The most popular Thanksgiving side dish is mashed potatoes.
The first Thanksgiving was said to have taken place in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 16
The tradition of making a wish while breaking the turkey’s wishbone dates back to ancient times.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is watched by over 44 million people each year.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.
Cranberries are native to North America and are often served as a sauce during Thanksgiving dinner.
Turkeys can drown if they look up during a rainstorm.
The jingle sound heard when shaking a can of cranberry sauce comes from the jelly inside being broken up.
The world record for the largest pumpkin pie ever made was set in 2010 and weighed over 3,000 pounds.
Wild turkeys can run up to 20 miles per hour.
The first Thanksgiving didn’t include forks; Pilgrims and Native Americans used spoons and their hands to eat.
The Pilgrims didn’t have sugar, so there was no pumpkin pie at the first Thanksgiving feast.
The turkey’s red, fleshy growth hanging from its neck is called a snood.
The largest turkey-producing state in the United States is Minnesota.
The first TV dinner created by Swanson was made to help deal with the surplus of turkey after Thanksgiving.
The word turkey comes from the Native American word tuka, which means big bird.
The phrase going cold turkey is said to have originated from the withdrawal symptoms experienced when quitting alcohol or drugs suddenly, which can make the person’s skin resemble that of a plucked turkey.
The most expensive Thanksgiving dinner ever recorded was priced at $181,000 and included gold flakes on the turkey.
Sarah Josepha Hale, the famous author who wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb, campaigned for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday.
The first Thanksgiving was most likely held in October, not November, since the Pilgrims followed the old Julian calendar.
The average Thanksgiving meal takes about seven hours to prepare.
According to tradition, pulling the turkey’s wishbone with another person, the one who gets the larger piece will have their wish come true.
Turkeys have excellent visual acuity and can see in color.
The world record for the most turkey consumed in 10 minutes is just over 9 pounds.
The cornucopia, also known as the horn of plenty, is a symbol often associated with Thanksgiving and abundance.
The idea of Thanksgiving football games originated from college games played on Thanksgiving in the late 19th century.
The Pilgrims didn’t have ovens in 1621, so all of their cooking was done over an open fire.
The average lifespan of a turkey is 10 years.
Green bean casserole, a popular Thanksgiving side dish, was invented in 1955 by the Campbell Soup Company.
Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as an annual holiday to help bring unity to the country during the Civil War.
The busiest travel day during Thanksgiving week is the Wednesday before.