Recently, there’s been a lot of chatter about how folks are dreading the annual Thanksgiving gathering. Say it ain’t so! Listen, I’m here to save you from turning your turkey dinner into a full-blown food fight over hot topics. Trust me, nothing ruins a meal faster than serving up a side of awkward silence or a piping-hot argument—it’ll sour your stuffing and unsweeten your tea🍵 faster than you can say, “Pass the gravy!”🍽️
But fear not! I’ve got a few goodies to keep your feast fun and flavorful. And if you click this link or the link below, you can play a family-friendly game that guarantees an indigestion-free Thanksgiving.🙏
Yes, really. Who says you can’t serve up sweet potatoes and sweet peace at the same table?
Go on, give it a try—your taste buds and your sanity will thank you!🎉
Enjoy these extra nuggets of trivia! 🦃
Here are some fun and interesting facts about Thanksgiving:
- First Thanksgiving Was a Three-Day Feast
The original Thanksgiving in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag lasted three days. It featured a menu vastly different from today’s traditional fare, including venison, seafood, and wild fowl.
- Turkey Almost Wasn’t the National Bird
Benjamin Franklin once suggested the turkey as the national bird of the United States. He believed the turkey was a more respectable bird than the bald eagle.
- The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Had Live Animals
When Macy’s started its iconic parade in 1924, it included live animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, such as lions, elephants, and camels, rather than the famous balloons we know today.
- Thanksgiving Wasn’t Always on the Fourth Thursday
President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, designating it for the last Thursday in November. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt briefly moved it to the third Thursday to extend the shopping season but reverted to the fourth Thursday in 1941.
- Americans Eat a Lot of Turkey
Roughly 46 million turkeys are consumed in the United States each Thanksgiving, which accounts for about one-fifth of the total annual turkey consumption in the country.
- The Tradition of Watching Football Began in 1876
The first Thanksgiving football game took place in 1876 between Yale and Princeton. The NFL made Thanksgiving football an annual tradition in 1934, starting with a game hosted by the Detroit Lions.
- “Jingle Bells” Was Originally a Thanksgiving Song
James Pierpont wrote the song “One Horse Open Sleigh” in 1857 for his church’s Thanksgiving program. It later became associated with Christmas.
- TV Dinners Were Born from Thanksgiving
In 1953, a surplus of 260 tons of frozen turkeys led Swanson to create the first-ever TV dinners. The frozen turkey meals became wildly popular.
- Presidential Turkey Pardoning Is a Modern Tradition
While stories of presidents sparing turkeys date back to Abraham Lincoln, the formal “pardoning” of a turkey started with President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
- Pumpkin Pie Wasn’t Always a Favorite
At the first Thanksgiving, there was likely no pumpkin pie as ovens weren’t yet common. However, pumpkins were hollowed out,
filled with milk, honey, and spices, and roasted as a precursor to the modern pie.
- The Longest Thanksgiving Parade Balloon
The longest balloon in the Macy’s parade is the iconic Snoopy balloon, which has made the most appearances of any character.
- Black Friday Is Surprisingly Not the Biggest Shopping Day
Despite the hype, Black Friday typically ranks behind the Saturday before Christmas for the busiest shopping day of the year.
- Cranberries Bounce
Fresh cranberries are known to bounce due to their small air pockets. Farmers even use this characteristic to determine their ripeness.
Thanksgiving is packed with history, food, and quirky traditions that make it uniquely American! 🦃
- The First Macy’s Parade Wasn’t on Thanksgiving
The inaugural Macy’s Parade in 1924 was held on Christmas Day, not Thanksgiving. The tradition shifted to Thanksgiving in subsequent years.
- Thanksgiving Eve is the Biggest Bar Night of the Year
Known as “Drinksgiving,” the night before Thanksgiving sees a surge in bar activity as friends reunite and college students return home for the holiday.
- The Butterball Turkey Hotline is Real
Butterball has operated a Turkey Talk-Line since 1981, helping over 100,000 people each year with their turkey-cooking questions. The experts even get bizarre questions, like how to thaw a turkey using a hot tub!
- Frozen Turkeys Can Explode
Attempting to deep-fry a frozen turkey is extremely dangerous. When the frozen turkey hits the hot oil, it causes an explosive reaction due to the rapid expansion of water. (Stick to thawed turkeys, folks!)
- A Thanksgiving That Wasn’t Thankful
In 1920, college students in San Francisco introduced a prank tradition called “Turkey Stealing.” They’d raid farms to nab turkeys for their dorm feasts—a tradition that led to some heated farmer-student disputes.
- Thanksgiving Postcards Were Once a Trend
Before email and text greetings, Thanksgiving postcards were hugely popular in the early 1900s. They often featured turkeys dressed in human clothes doing odd activities like driving cars or flying planes.
- The Guinness World Record for the Largest Turkey
The heaviest turkey ever recorded weighed in at 86 pounds, roughly the size of a large dog. This turkey would have been quite a centerpiece at the dinner table!
- Canada Celebrates Thanksgiving Too
Canadians celebrate their version of Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October, rooted in a similar tradition of giving thanks for the harvest.
- The First TV Dinner Commercial Cost $90,000
Swanson’s marketing of its Thanksgiving-inspired TV dinners in the 1950s included one of the most expensive commercials of the era—a big gamble that paid off handsomely.
- Thomas Jefferson Hated Thanksgiving
Jefferson refused to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday, considering it an inappropriate fusion of church and state. He would not be pleased to see its current status!
- Gobbler Names
A group of turkeys is called a rafter or gang. Male turkeys are “gobblers,” and females are “hens.” Wild turkeys can even fly up to 55 mph for short distances, unlike their hefty farm-raised cousins.
- The Original Cornucopia Was a Goat’s Horn
The iconic Thanksgiving cornucopia comes from Greek mythology, symbolizing abundance. Originally, it was said to be a goat’s horn filled with fruits and grains.
From farm fields to fame, Jane Jenkins Herlong is a Sirius XM Humorist and international best-selling author. Alongside Jeff Foxworthy, Ray Romano, and Jerry Seinfeld, her comedy is known far and wide.
Not just a funny lady, Jane is also an award-winning author. She’s churned out five award-winning books, each one more Southern-fried than the last. Her latest gem, “Sweet Tea Secrets from the Deep-Fried South,” is on the shelves of Cracker Barrel nationwide!
