Even if you don’t live in the US, you know the essential facts about Thanksgiving. Movies, TV shows, and pop culture in general made sure people all over the world knew about this day. And though it is mostly known as an American holiday, there are many cultures that have a similar celebration.
While in the US, the history of Thanksgiving is closely related to the first settlers, in many other countries, it is the native population who celebrate the harvest season and offer their gratitude for having grown enough food for a year. The first American Thanksgiving celebration recorded in history is traced back to the early 1620s, though there is quite a bit of debate around the exact date, as there were two types of thanksgiving practices: a religious ceremony and a festive celebration, which, though having similar elements, were still pretty different.
Whenever it may have occurred for the first time, Thanksgiving is definitely one of America’s most beloved holidays. And what is a Thanksgiving celebration without a traditional dinner with turkey! Did you know that the average turkey weight for an adult male turkey can reach up to 24 pounds (11 kilograms)? And that’s only one of the traditional dishes you will be offered at the table.
Whether you are going to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and loved ones or just want to know more about the holiday, we have collected interesting facts about Thanksgiving that you can share with others during the dinner. Make sure you let us know in the comments which one caused the biggest discussion, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
#1
More than four-fifths of Americans say they would rather eat the leftovers than the meal.
Image source: grainfoodsfoundation.org, fauxels
#2
Big Bird’s costume on Sesame Street is made of turkey feathers that have been dyed yellow.
Image source: muppet.fandom.com
#3
The first Thanksgiving never included turkey as a main course.
Image source: npr.org
#4
Strong winds almost ruined the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1997. Driven by heavy winds, a six-story Cat in the Hat balloon had slammed into a lamppost, scattering debris onto spectators.
Image source: nytimes.com, Jade
#5
Americans eat 50 million pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving.
Image source: excelined.org
#6
For plumbers, the day after Thanksgiving is their busiest day of the year. It’s called ‘Black Friday’.
Image source: phcppros.com, Vi Nguyễn Hoàng Duy
#7
‘Jingle Bells’ was first written as a song for Thanksgiving.
Image source: historydaily.org
#8
Turkeys are named after the country due to misconceptions about birds.
Image source: theatlantic.com
#9
The U.S. has four cities named “Turkey”.
Image source: cbs58.com
#10
The Wampanoag Indians arrived at the first Thanksgiving with an offering of five deer.
Image source: history.com, Future KIIID
#11
One Thanksgiving, a live raccoon was gifted to Calvin Coolidge.
Image source: history.com
#12
A lack of pumpkin pies caused Thanksgiving to be postponed in one Connecticut town.
Image source: history.com
#13
The first Thanksgiving is said to have taken place in two Texas towns.
Image source: texasalmanac.com, Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0
#14
The majority of American turkeys are raised in Minnesota.
Image source: usnews.com
#15
Live animals from ZOO were used in the first Macy’s Parade.
Image source: cbsnews.com
#16
Astronauts also celebrate Thanksgiving in the International space station.
Image source: sciencetimes.com, Pixabay
#17
Every year, the Butterball hotline responds to 100,000 questions about turkeys.
Image source: 975thefanatic.com
#18
Cranberries provided a variety of purposes for Native Americans on Thanksgiving.
Native Americans ate cranberries as fresh fruit, dried the fruit and formed them into cakes to store, also made cranberry sauce, as well as tea out of the leaves. They also used the cranberry to make dye for their rugs and blankets and found the cranberry plant to be valuable for medicinal purposes.
Image source: nationalgeographic.com
#19
The animated film ‘Frozen’ had the biggest Thanksgiving opening ever.
Image source: cheatsheet.com, iMDB
#20
Thanksgiving dishes with tofu are the most hated.
Image source: today.yougov.com
#21
Every year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is watched by about 50 million people.
Image source: educationworld.com
#22
On Thanksgiving, 60% of Americans would prefer to do anything but reflect on their thankfulness.
Image source: psychologytoday.com, Tima Miroshnichenko
#23
An average person eats 4500 calories on Thanksgiving.
Image source: abcnews.go.com
#24
Snoopy has made the most appearances in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Image source: create.passitdown.com
#25
Pumpkin pie has been beloved for a long time — although, apple pies are still America’s favorite.
Image source: piecouncil.org, Element5 Digital
#26
There were no potatoes at the first Thanksgiving.
Image source: history.com
#27
Richard Nixon sent his turkey to a petting zoo.
Image source: pbs.org
#28
Every Thanksgiving, Americans consume 736 million pounds of turkey.
Image source: eatturkey.org, Engin Akyurt
#29
Thanksgiving is celebrated entirely differently in Canada. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. It started in 1859 when Protestant leaders called on the colonial government to create a day for giving thanks.
Image source: cbc.ca
#30
Before 1997, there were no restrictions on the size of balloons used in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Image source: time.com
#31
It’s not the turkey’s fault that you feel awful after dinner.
Image source: orlandohealth.com, Monstera
#32
The National Football League did not exist when the first Thanksgiving “football” game was played.
Image source: paw.princeton.edu
#33
There is a myth that Benjamin Franklin liked turkeys more than bald eagles.
Image source: fi.edu
#34
The tradition of breaking the wishbone comes from ancient times.
Image source: thekitchn.com
#35
The most popular holiday in America is Thanksgiving.
Image source: statista.com, August de Richelieu
#36
The most popular day for racing in the U.S. is Thanksgiving.
Image source: runnersworld.com
#37
The only night when Americans consume significantly more alcohol is the night before Thanksgiving, which is called ‘Drinksgiving’.
Image source: daysoftheyear.com
#38
Only six runners participated in the first Turkey Trot.
Image source: active.com
#39
Football wasn’t played on Thanksgiving during World War II.
Image source: espn.com, football wife
#40
Originally, Thanksgiving may not have been celebrated in November at all.
Image source: mayflowerhistory.com
#41
The most common Thanksgiving beverage is red wine.
Image source: sheknows.com
#42
The majority of the thickening that comes with aging is caused by holiday weight gain.
Image source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Towfiqu barbhuiya
#43
The British don’t officially celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do celebrate “Brits-giving.”
Image source: independent.co.uk
#44
First Thanksgiving was the three-day feast.
Image source: history.com
#45
The author of ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ also succeeded in getting Thanksgiving established as a federal holiday.
Image source: nps.gov
#46
On Thanksgiving, more people visit Orlando, Florida than any other city.
Image source: mynews13.com, Caroline Cagnin
#47
A Thanksgiving miscalculation led to the creation of the original TV dinner.
Image source: lovefood.com
#48
George Washington announced the first American Thanksgiving.
Image source: mountvernon.org
#49
Detroit Lions have played football on Thanksgiving since 1934.
Image source: espn.com
#50
Thanksgiving was once celebrated on the 3rd Thursday in November.
Image source: time.com, Vlada Karpovich
#51
The menu for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth in 1621 likely included lobster, seal, and swans.
Image source: history.com
#52
Each year on the 4th Thursday in November recognizes the ‘National Day of Mourning’. The observance is an opportunity to reflect on Native American heritage and the role Thanksgiving played in the lives of their ancestors.
Image source: nationaldaycalendar.com
#53
Turkey tail is a delicacy in Somoa.
Image source: atlasobscura.com, Ashish Sharma
#54
Turkey females don’t gobble.
Image source: livescience.com
#55
Thanksgiving was once shifted up a week by FDR.
Image source: washingtonpost.com
#56
In the past, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons were simply released after the performance.
Image source: nytimes.com, Tirachard Kumtanom
#57
Families become happier and closer through giving back.
Image source: fidelitycharitable.org
#58
In 2011, the Turkey trot in Dallas Texas set up a world record for the largest gathering of humans dressed up as turkeys.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#59
The largest pumpkin pie ever baked weighed 3,699 pounds and measured 20 feet in diameter.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com, cottonbro studio
#60
Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest.
Image source: britannica.com
#61
Harry Truman was the first President to receive a ceremonial turkey.
Image source: whitehousehistory.org
#62
It was slightly ironic when George H.W. Bush “pardoned” a turkey in his official role.
Image source: whitehousehistory.org, EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA
Follow Us
