5 Wacky Facts about Thanksgiving​​
Start writing a post
Featured

5 Wacky Facts about Thanksgiving​​

The more you know, the better about this delicious holiday.

569
5 Wacky Facts about Thanksgiving​​
c1.staticflickr.com

This is a response to "10 Trendy Ways to Plan a Memorable Thanksgiving"

TV Dinners were invented from Thanksgiving

https://unsplash.com/photos/yubCnXAA3H8

We all love a tasty TV dinner, but who would have thought that they originated from Thanksgiving? Not I! In 1953, the famous meal company Swanson had an employee that accidentally ordered too many turkeys. 260 tons to be exact! With all that turkey, they stored the frozen turkeys in 10 refrigerated train cars for future use. One day a Swanson salesman saw the frozen turkey's and had the bright idea to package the turkey in aluminum trays with side dishes. These dishes are what we know today as TV dinners. The turkey tv dinners did so well that they sold 5,000 dinners that year and 10 million the next! Want a bonus fact? The first TV dinner was only 98 cents!

The first Thanksgiving was more of a seafood feast than anything

Seafoodupload.wikimedia.org

Since the Pilgrims did not have an abundance of food around them and they had to work with what they had, feasts lacked the buttery, flakey pies we have now and a couple other things. Thanksgiving consisted primarily of seafood like mussels, lobster and clams. Historians believe that the pilgrims also feasted on venison and different types of wild fowl. This included turkey, duck, goose and swan. To add to it, there was not even a big roasted bird at the feast or mashed potatoes!

We did not celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday until 1863

It's Thanksgiving timeThanksgiving Is The Best Holiday, And I'm Not Even Sure Why It's Up For DiscussionElement5 Digital

The first Thanksgiving dates back to 1621 but we did not celebrate it as a national holiday until 1863. Thanksgiving originated in Plymouth, MA and it was not until 240 years later that President Lincoln finally made Thanksgiving a national holiday. President Lincoln also had a little push for the holiday from a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb". She wrote letters over the span of 17 years to Lincoln proclaiming how it should be a national holiday!

The Macy's Day Parade dates back to 1924!

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Paradewww.instagram.com

What started as a marketing ploy to celebrate the expansion of the Herald Square, NY, Macys location, turned into what is now known as the Macy's Day Parade. The event was originally supposed to be a big Christmas parade right before Christmas, but with a signed NBC TV contract and the parade becoming an instant hit, the show stuck around for years to come. How could people cut the parade out? With magnificent floats, bands and various performers, the 2 mile route the parade makes every year delights people from all over.

Study finds the best part of Thanksgiving are leftovers

ThanksgivingThe Best Thanksgiving Clapbacks Of 2018 Because Trust Me, You'll Need ThemYouTube

Thought the actual feast was the best part? Think again! Two- thirds of America think that the leftovers are better than the original meal! 2,000 people were surveyed and of those people surveyed, 70 percent of people think that the leftovers taste better than anything else. If there were no leftovers left to be eaten after the feast, over half of people said they would be upset based off of a survey from Stasher. Curious to know what leftovers were the favorite? 62 percent of people said turkey was the best leftover, 46 percent said stuffing and mashed potatoes, and 45 percent said pumpkin pie.

Report this Content
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

86792
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

52763
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments