Since the annual holiday season is a significant element of the year, it’s only natural to ask how the holidays came about and why we enjoy them in the manner we do. In the end, the kids who are part of our lives aren’t the only ones curious! When we sit around the table for Thanksgiving with our family and friends, it could be an enjoyable discussion (and an opportunity to break the ice, should you require it) to discuss the reasons why Thanksgiving falls during the 4th Thursday in November.
Perhaps what the people who were celebrating the first Thanksgiving feasted on (hint that it did not have wings! ) Perhaps, or who created the recipe that’s now known as Turducken? This is the reason we’ve collected the most interesting Thanksgiving facts.
It doesn’t matter if you’d like to have an exciting round of trivia about turkeys between eating the menu for Thanksgiving and sampling the desserts of Thanksgiving or even ponder some of these facts about Thanksgiving your own; we’re certain you’ll find these solutions to the most important Turkey Day questions just as fascinating as we do.
They’re not even the most interesting information you’ll come across in the future. So, gather your family, stop the Thanksgiving films on Netflix and prepare to be awed by (and perhaps even thankful for) these juicy Thanksgiving facts.
Incredible Facts About Thanksgiving
1. The first Thanksgiving was an event that lasted three days.
Get cosy for a taste of the fascinating background of Thanksgiving. The celebration of Thanksgiving today takes place on a single, decadent day, perhaps two, in the case of Black Friday’s history. However, the original Pilgrims truly went all-out. In the fall of 1621, the colonists’ first harvest of corn proved so profitable that governor William Bradford reportedly invited the Plymouth colonists’ Native American allies to take advantage of all the benefits of their labour. The members belonging to the Wampanoag tribe arrived with food for the feast. There was so much food that the party-goers decided to keep the party going.
2. Colonists and Native Americans may not have enjoyed turkey as the main course at their celebrations.
Although we all love turkey as the main course at our tables, no one can be certain it was served in 1621. But, the original guests also indulged in other food items such as seal, lobster, and the swan. The Wampanoag also reported having brought five deer to the feast. If you enjoy the venison you serve at your table; you are in perfect alignment with a long-standing tradition.
3. A part of Plymouth, Mass., appears exactly as it did in the 17th century.
If you’re looking to discover the way Thanksgiving was celebrated during the 1600s, then the historic site Plymouth (or Plimoth) Plantation remains true to its historical roots. It is possible to have a Thanksgiving celebration at the plantation on a colonist’s house and a Wampanoag site. Members and guests can purchase advance tickets (which include two days of admission) to enjoy the meal at Thanksgiving. The table-groomed meal features traditional meals like fish fricassee and corn pudding and tales of life in the colonies and old-timey tunes.
4. Thomas Jefferson refused to declare Thanksgiving as a holiday.
Presidents were required to declare Thanksgiving as a holiday each year, to the point that Lincoln declared it the national holiday during his presidency. But Jefferson could not declare the celebration since he was a firm believer in the separation between religion and state. Since Thanksgiving is a time for meditation, prayer, and reflection, I believed making the holiday a national holiday would violate constitutional rights under the First Amendment. He also believed that it would be more appropriate as a state holiday, not a federal holiday.
5. The author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” is also responsible for recognizing Thanksgiving as an official holiday for the nation.
Editor and writer Sarah Josepha Hale convinced President Abraham Lincoln to officially declare Thanksgiving a national holiday after decades of relentless lobbying. Hale also established The American Ladies Magazine, which was a proponent of women’s rights long before the time of suffrage. She wrote numerous essays and letters, calling for Thanksgiving to unite between the Northern Southern and Northern Southern states amid growing divisions. Hale continued to write letters until her death, and even after the Civil War broke out, Lincoln issued the proclamation only a week after her last post in 1863. This earned her the title mother of the Thanksgiving holiday.
6. The inaugural Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade didn’t include balloons.
If you couldn’t picture how you would imagine the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without huge floats adorned with your favourite characters, it’s hard to remember the parade’s first appearance in the 1920s in the beginning. There were puppets on the famous floats, singers, famous people, and, obviously, Santa Claus. However, when the Thanksgiving parade was first introduced in 1924, it had something even crazier than the balloons. Animals from the Central Park Zoo.
Also check out 20+ Fun Facts About Spring Season: Season Of New Beginnings!!
Ancient Facts About Thanksgiving
1. There is no evidence to suggest that eating turkey during the first Thanksgiving.
It was the first Thanksgiving Day feast in 1621, and there were three days dedicated to celebrating the holiday. While the turkey was abundant throughout the region and was the most common food source, it’s possible that it wasn’t the centrepiece of the celebration and that other “fowling” was served for the celebration. In the event, “ducks, geese, and swans” are believed to be served to English people who settled in the area as well as Native Americans.
2. Benjamin Franklin wished the turkey was the bird of the nation.
In a letter addressed to his child, Benjamin Franklin wrote, “For my part, I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. Turkey is a respectable Bird.” Although Franklin could not have his wishes granted, his letter sparked the song that was performed in 1776, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning show about the writing of the Declaration of Independence.
3. The very first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had Central Park Zoo animals.
To start the holiday shopping season, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was initially dubbed”the “Macy’s Christmas Parade” to start the holiday shopping season. The parade was held in 1924. The inaugural parade featured monkeys, camels, bears, and elephants sourced from Central Park Zoo instead of the classic character balloons we are familiar with today.
4. Snoopy has had the most appearances at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Forty-four years after the inaugural Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Snoopy first appeared as a balloon in 1968. Through time, the bald eagle has had seven balloons and has made 39 appearances “on and off through 2015” before being replaced by Charlie Brown in 2016. He was back like an astronaut in the 2019 parade, which brought the total balloons to eight.
5. Sarah Josepha Hale was the “Mother of Thanksgiving.”
Famous for her writing “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” Sarah Josepha Hale was a writer from the 19th century and an editor who was known as”the Mother (or the Godmother) of the Thanksgiving holiday. It was fitting that the name was chosen when she wrote a note to President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward in 1863 calling for Thanksgiving as an official holiday of the nation.
Wrapping Up:
Thanksgiving is, for many, an occasion not only to be grateful but also to give back. Take a look at the many examples of people who volunteer their time to serve and cook meals for Thanksgiving for those in situations of need.
Stay tuned for more news. For now, Happy Thanksgiving!!!
