You've probably heard the story of the harvest feast with the Pilgrims and Native Americans in the fall of 1621. Although it is true they had a three-day harvest celebration, it was a long and windy road from there to our modern-day Thanksgiving holiday. More than 50 years passed before another "day of thanksgiving" was proclaimed, in June 1676. Another 100+ years went by when George Washington declared a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789. But it wasn't until a magazine editor by the name of Sarah Josepha Hale, who spent 40 years writing letters and editorials (talk about one determined woman!) that a National Thanksgiving Day began to take place each year. Her efforts finally paid off when, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as a National Day of Thanksgiving. Each successive president also proclaimed a Thanksgiving Day and Congress made it a legal holiday as the fourth Thursday in November in 1941.
Here are some more fun facts about Thanksgiving Day:
- Although George Washington called for a National Day of Thanksgiving, Thomas Jefferson thought it was "the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard."
- Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, cranberries, and green bean casserole -- "traditional" Thanksgiving fare in many American households -- were not eaten during the harvest feast in 1621.
- The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first took place in 1924. Today, more than 3 million people are expected to attend the parade, with another 44 million watching it on television.
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird.
- Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force conducted tests and broke the sound barrier, fields of nearby turkeys dropped dead.
- Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented two dressed turkeys and a live turkey to the President. Each year, the President "pardons" the live turkey, which is then taken to live on a historical farm.
- About 280 million turkeys are purchased each year in the United States for Thanksgiving Day celebrations.
- Minnesota produces the most turkeys each year. California consumes the most.
- There is a Turkey, TX; a Turkey Creek, LA; and a Turkey, NC. Each town has a population of under 500 people.
