Our Christmas Blog

Many historians can't seem to agree on the actual date, or even the location, of the first Thanksgiving. Rather than get in the middle of that, I have gathered together some other, probably more interesting, Thanksgiving facts, traditions, and other miscellaneous information. So enjoy this as you reflect on and give thanks for the blessings of this past year...

1. Thanksgiving is the second most popular holiday in America. Of course, Christmas is first!

2. One of the most popular Christmas songs, "Jingle Bells" was originally named, "One-Horse Open Sleigh" and was actually written for Thanksgiving!

3. The Butterball Turkey hotline answers about 100,000 questions every year during the holiday season. For over 30 years, the 50 or more experts have answered turkey related questions for cooks with concerns or problems. Have a turkey question? Call 1-800-BUTTERBALL!

4. Americans eat about 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving Day.

5. About 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving Day in the US.

6. The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers, who receive up to 50% more calls than any typical Friday. And it's not for the reason you're probably guessing! Clogged kitchen sinks and garbage disposals are the most common problem, due to all the food scraps that end up down the drain.

7. Deep-frying a turkey on Thanksgiving may make it delicious, but it's also pretty risky. Deep-fryer turkey fires cause more than $15 million dollars in property damage each year.

8. A survey by the National Turkey Federation shows that 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

9. Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. It can be as early as November 22 and as late as November 28

10. The first collegiate level Thanksgiving football game was in 1876 between Princeton University and Yale. The first professional football game on Thanksgiving was played on November 25, 1920. Because of World War II, no games were played on Thanksgiving from 1941 to 1944.

11. Each year since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey to the President. Rather than eating the live turkey the President "pardons" it, then it is taken to be cared for and live out its days at a turkey "retirement" community farm.

12. Stove Top Stuffing sells about 60 million boxes of stuffing at Thanksgiving every year.

13. The Gimbels department store in Philadelphia held a Thanksgiving parade in 1920 which is the country's oldest Thanksgiving Day parade. The parade included only about 50 people spread out over about 15 cars. But most importantly, Santa Claus rode in the festively decorated last car! The parade is now officially known as the 6ABC Dunkin Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade.

14. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the second oldest Thanksgiving parade, was first held in 1924. Almost 50 million people watch the parade on TV each year, and more than 3 million people line the streets of New York to watch it in person

15. Is it stuffing or dressing? Typically if it is cooked inside the turkey, it is stuffing. If cooked in a separate pan, it is dressing. But geography plays a part too. In the South it is usually called dressing, no matter how it is cooked. And in the Northeast, it is most often called stuffing.

16. In 2019, more than 55 million people are planning to travel 50 miles or more to be with family and friends for Thanksgiving. Most of these travelers, almost 50 million, will drive to their destinations. Another 4.5 million will fly home, and 1.5 million will travel by some other method, such as by train or bus.