Fun Thanksgiving Facts
With the holiday season quickly approaching, we decided to explore some fun and fascinating Thanksgiving traditions. Here are a few festive facts we discovered!
- Turkey wasn’t the star of the very first Thanksgiving. Historical accounts show that the original feast featured a mix of seafood (like clams and fish) along with venison and seasonal vegetables, rather than the traditional turkey we enjoy today.
- Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863. President Abraham Lincoln officially declared the day a national holiday as a time for the nation to pause, give thanks, and reflect on its blessings.
- Thanksgiving football kicked off in 1876. The tradition began when Yale and Princeton went head-to-head in one of the earliest Thanksgiving Day football games, sparking a tradition that continues today.
- The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in 1924. Long before the famous giant balloons, the parade featured Macy’s employees dressed in festive costumes alongside animals borrowed from the Central Park Zoo, creating a very different kind of spectacle than the one we know today.
- Canada celebrates Thanksgiving too, just not in November. Canadian Thanksgiving takes place on the second Monday in October, aligning with the end of their harvest season rather than the late-November celebration observed in the United States.
- Thanksgiving is the biggest turkey-eating day of the year. It’s estimated that Americans enjoy around 46 million turkeys each Thanksgiving whether they’re baked, roasted, or deep-fried, it’s the holiday’s most iconic dish.
- The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade didn’t hit television screens until 1948. Although the parade began in the 1920s, it wasn’t televised until 1948, quickly becoming a beloved holiday morning tradition for families across the country.
- Green bean casserole was invented in 1955. Dorcas Reilly, working at the Campbell’s Soup Company, created the now-classic dish by combining green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions, a simple recipe that became a timeless Thanksgiving favorite.
As you gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving, we hope these fun holiday facts add a little extra flavor to your celebration. Whether you’re enjoying a classic meal, watching the parade, or simply taking time to reflect on what you’re grateful for, we wish you a wonderful and memorable holiday season.