Many events in Thanksgiving’s long history shaped what it is today. As a longstanding tradition and institution in the United States, the holiday also gained many fun and interesting facts that many people don’t know about.
What is Thanksgiving?
Most Americans look forward to Thanksgiving every year when they celebrate with family and friends. This holiday is officially celebrated every fourth Thursday of November in the United States. It’s usually associated with traditional turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pies, and cranberry sauce.
11 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving
The history of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the colonial period. Since then, it has become a part of life in the US, with people planning to travel and organize gatherings. Here are some fun facts about this well-loved holiday:
1. The First Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving is widely considered to have happened in Plymouth in 1621. The holiday is patterned after a harvest feast by colonists and the Wampanoag.
Colonists were heading out for “fowling” or bird hunting. However, the Wampanoag appeared near the settlement’s gate one day. This incident first unnerved the colonists, but over the next few days, they socialized without much incident.
2. Thanksgiving as a National Day
While the feast is patterned after it happened in 1621, Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday for a hundred years. The first national day of Thanksgiving was observed in 1774. However, it was only in 1863, during the Civil War, that Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed it as a national holiday.
3. The Mother of Thanksgiving
Did you know that a particular nursery rhyme and Thanksgiving have a connection?
Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb, campaigned for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday. Her campaign started in 1827, hoping Thanksgiving would become a permanent American custom and institution.
4. The First Thanksgiving Was in mid-October
The feast was observed in mid-October before Lincoln formally proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. While historians are not 100% certain about the date of the first Thanksgiving, many believe it took place around that time. They also think Lincoln assigned the new date in November for the holiday to coincide with the date of the Mayflower landing in New England.
5. The Year Thanksgiving Day Was Moved
There was a year when then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday. The holiday was shifted by a week in 1939, so the holiday shopping season was extended by a week. Back then, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday of November, which coincidentally was the last day of the month, November 30th.
However, after continued debate, the US Congress passed a resolution in 1941, stipulating the new Thanksgiving date to be observed every fourth Thursday of November.
6. The Tradition of Giving Pardon to a Turkey
In 1963, John F. Kennedy became the first president to pardon a turkey during Thanksgiving. When he received a turkey from the National Turkey Federation, Kennedy returned the bird to the farm instead of cooking it for a Thanksgiving feast. However, this was not considered the first formal “turkey pardon.”
The first official turkey pardon was granted by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. During a ceremony, the National Turkey Federation presented him with a turkey, but the then-president said he was granted a “presidential pardon,” formally launching an annual White House tradition.
7. The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade we know now involves gigantic balloons of popular characters, performances, and floats. But did you know this was not originally the case?
The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which spanned only two blocks back in 1924, featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Instead of giant balloons, it featured live bears, elephants, monkeys, and even camels, which are zoo residents. Also featured were Macy’s employees in vibrant costumes, performing with puppet floats, celebrities, bands, and Santa Claus!
8. The Origins of Thanksgiving Day Football
The tradition of Thanksgiving Day football games began in 1876. It happened long before people in their homes could watch it on TV. Back then, football wasn’t even a professional sport. Instead, the first Turkey Day football game featured Yale and Princeton matches.
For almost 50 years, Thanksgiving Day games featured college and high school teams. Eventually, in 1920, the National Football League was founded and started hosting Thanksgiving matches every year.
9. The Mistake That Gave Birth to TV Dinners
Did you know that a mistake during Thanksgiving helped create TV Dinners?
In 1953, Swanson, a food corporation, overestimated the turkey consumed on Thanksgiving. They had 260 tons of leftover turkey, which they needed to use.
Getting creative, Swanson made a Thanksgiving-inspired meal using the leftover turkey and cornbread dressing, peas, gravy, and sweet potatoes. The pre-cooked food was sent to an assembly line of packers, where they placed the meals on aluminum trays.
The first TV meal cost 98 cents, and Swanson sold 10 million of them in its first year of production.
10. How Much Turkey Does America Consume During Thanksgiving?
It is estimated that, during Thanksgiving, Americans eat around 704 million pounds of turkey. That translates to over 46 million turkeys being enjoyed as the feast’s main dish.
11. “Jingle Bells” Was Originally a Thanksgiving Day Song
The Christmas tune “Jingle Bells” was initially intended to be sung on Thanksgiving Day. Created in 1957, the song was originally “One Horse Open Sleigh,” composed by James Pierpoint for Turkey Day. However, the song became more popular near December 25th, so in 1959, its title was changed to “Jingle Bells.”
The Spirit of Thanksgiving
With its long history, Thanksgiving has gained a deeper meaning for many. It’s more than just a turkey feast; it’s a day of thankfulness and a celebration of friends and family.
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