People celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the USA on the fourth Thursday of November. On this day, everybody is grateful for good fortune and autumn harvest. The usual way Americans spend this holiday is to host a dinner at home and invite friends and relatives.
They mostly eat lots of tasty meals, watch TV shows and drink some wine. But I want to introduce you to some other interesting and funny facts about Thanksgiving Day. So keep reading…
1. Abraham Lincoln announced it to be an official holiday
One of the unique facts about Thanksgiving Day is that in 1863 Lincoln was the first president of the USA who proclaimed an official holiday when people give thanks. Before him, other presidents also established some annual dates for that. But those were not official holidays. Instead, Lincoln’s decision was inspired by Sarah Josepha Hale, a popular magazine editor.
Due to this interesting fact about Thanksgiving, one day, Lincoln got a letter from her where she suggested that he proclaim an official annual celebration of Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to that letter, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in the USA. It was to be held every year on the last Thursday of November. People had to be thankful for their fortune and nature on this day.
2. There was no turkey on the first Thanksgiving Day
There is another unique fact about Thanksgiving. The first time people celebrated Thanksgiving was in 1621. It lasted for 3 days. It was some harvest feast. People who celebrated that holiday were Pilgrims, the English Protestant settlers, and the tribe of the Wampanoag.
It is also an interesting fact about Thanksgiving: their menu during that celebration differed greatly from the modern one. Their meals consisted of corn, shellfish, and deer meat. At those times, there were a lot of wild turkeys, but nobody cooked them on that day. Therefore, deer meat was the most popular food of the holiday.
More: 8 Wonderful Things to Be Grateful for This Thanksgiving
3. The popular parade which takes place in North America on Thanksgiving Day
The popular parade on Thanksgiving Day is also considered an interesting fact about Thanksgiving. Every year people in North America can witness the most majestic event. About 3.5 million people can observe this show in New York City. Others usually watch at home.
There is a unique fact about Thanksgiving that it began in 1924 when Macy’s employees decided to welcome the Christmas season. The participants wore different costumes, such as cowboys, knights, clowns, and others. They marched from Harlem to Herald’s Square. That bright show was completed with bands playing music and animals.
4. Football is the major entertainment of the day
Watching football, as the most popular activity among Americans on this holiday, is another fun fact about Thanksgiving Day. The history of this tradition began in 1934. The reason was a great match between two football teams – the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears.
The second team was the world champion. That game turned out to be successful. Due to this one of the unique facts about Thanksgiving, since that time, matches have been held every year on this holiday and have become very popular. However, there was an exception when matches didn’t take place. It was from 1939 to 1944, the years of World War II.
5. The most profitable night of the year for bar sales
Another interesting fact about Thanksgiving Day says that during the night before Thanksgiving Day, so many people visit different bars and cafes to make it the most profitable night for bar sales. The reason is that everybody meets with friends and relatives on this day. And the most popular place for that is a local bar.
More: 7 Tips for Hosting an Unforgettable Thanksgiving Dinner
6. Astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving
Maybe some people will be amazed by the interesting fact about Thanksgiving Day, that it is celebrated even by astronauts in space, even when they are apart from their families and friends. One of the astronauts, Peggy Whitson, shared unforgettable memories of such a celebration. She said it was much like having a holiday at home.
According to this one of the unique facts about Thanksgiving, before the holiday, Peggy and her crew had to work hard all day; they conducted a spacewalk. Their Thanksgiving menu consisted of rehydrated mashed potatoes, turkey smoked in foil pouches, and rehydrated green beans with mushrooms. All that was even better than they could think. It was inspiring!
7. The Tryptophan doesn’t make you sleepy
Another unique fact about Thanksgiving is that scientists say turkey meat has a special amino acid Tryptophan. As a result, it can make you feel sleepy. But it doesn’t mean you will fall asleep at once if you eat a usual portion of turkey during Thanksgiving dinner.
There is not enough Tryptophan in it. Perhaps it can cause your drowsiness, but just in case, you eat roast turkey on an empty stomach and too much of it. You can be sleepy on this day, but the reasons are different, such as drinking wine and eating a lot.
8. Every year the president pardons two turkeys
The fact that the President pardons two turkeys is also included in the list of 10 interesting facts about Thanksgiving. Once president Truman chose a turkey on Thanksgiving Day and sent it to the farm. In such a way, he showed that the turkey was given a peaceful life. That happened in 1947.
Since that time, it has become a tradition. Nowadays, the President selects two turkeys, and Americans vote for their names. After that, people can observe a public pardon of the President.
9. The day after Thanksgiving
Calling the day after Thanksgiving “Black Friday” is another fun fact about Thanksgiving. At first, it got such a name in 1960 in Philadelphia. At that time, there were a lot of stores in the city. So many people visited the city for shopping; it was overcrowded.
According to this interesting fact about Thanksgiving, the expression originated. Sometime later, the meaning of the word combination was changed concerning the profits of stores, which went from red to black. Traditionally “Black Friday” is the beginning of the shopping season during the holidays.
10. Every year 45 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving
Annually people in the U.S. eat tremendous amounts of food. Therefore, one of the unique facts about Thanksgiving is that about 45 million turkeys are consumed during fest dinner. If Americans follow the same tendency this year, they will spend about five billion dollars buying turkeys and trying to make their Thanksgiving menus perfect.
Have you ever heard of these facts? Do you have anything to add to this list?
Below, we have compiled a list of the most interesting questions about the most interesting facts about Thanksgiving Day:
What are 5 interesting facts about Thanksgiving?
Firstly, one of the most interesting facts about Thanksgiving is that the main symbol of the holiday is the utterance of words of gratitude, which can be interpreted very widely. For example, it can be gratitude to the Almighty for mercy, the Indians who helped the first settlers survive, the outgoing year for the harvest, and relatives and friends for support and help.
Secondly, another fun fact is that one of the best components of the holiday is parades, the most grandiose of which takes place in New York. The parade symbolizes the beginning of the Christmas season and sales.
Thirdly, celebrating this holiday on the fourth Thursday of November came with the 26th US President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1945, he signed the corresponding law.
In addition, one of the fun facts about Thanksgiving is that it is customary to watch American football. However, people themselves do not mind playing football with their families.
Finally, one of the unique facts is that in 1947, Truman introduced the tradition of a sitting president pardoning two turkeys for forgiveness and then sending one of those birds to live out the rest of his days on a celebrity farm.
How does Thanksgiving get its name?
Thanksgiving was originally a holiday of expressing gratitude and appreciation to God and family and friends for material well-being and kindness. From this tradition came the name of the holiday.
What are some good things about Thanksgiving?
First of all, the best tradition is that several generations of the same family gather in the house of the elders for a festive dinner. Then, everyone thanks for all the good things that happened in his life.
Secondly, traditional costume parades are one of the fun things about Thanksgiving. The most famous parade is held annually in New York. It is organized by Macy’s, the largest chain of department stores. The main attraction of the parade is huge inflatable toys.
And, of course, a solemn ceremony of pardoning a turkey is held at the White House on the eve of the holiday. Following this tradition, at least one turkey must avoid the fate of being on the festive table.
What is the most important thing on Thanksgiving?
The most important thing on Thanksgiving is the day when all relatives get together, regardless of who lives where. Every year, people spend Thanksgiving Day with those closest to them.
What is the true backstory of Thanksgiving?
The Thanksgiving story begins in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. It was there that the pilgrims, who arrived on the North American continent on the ship Mayflower, founded the first English colony in the New World.
There were 102 people on board, but half did not survive the winter. The first settlers reached the shore in November, which met them with cold, hunger, and disease. And in the spring, the Indians of the local tribe showed compassion to the pilgrims and showed them what crops could be cultivated on this land.
Yet, after all their hardships, the harvest became an almost divine blessing for them. And as a token of gratitude to the Lord, they arranged a feast. For a long time, the celebration was popular, but in 1789, by decree of George Washington, Thanksgiving Day acquired national status.
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