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.
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22points
#2
Big Bird’s costume on Sesame Street is made of turkey feathers that have been dyed yellow.
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19points
#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.
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15points
#6
For plumbers, the day after Thanksgiving is their busiest day of the year. It's called 'Black Friday'.
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12points
#8
Turkeys are named after the country due to misconceptions about birds.
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11points
#10
The Wampanoag Indians arrived at the first Thanksgiving with an offering of five deer.
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11points
#12
A lack of pumpkin pies caused Thanksgiving to be postponed in one Connecticut town.
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10points
#13
The first Thanksgiving is said to have taken place in two Texas towns.
10points
#16
Astronauts also celebrate Thanksgiving in the International space station.
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10points
#17
Every year, the Butterball hotline responds to 100,000 questions about turkeys.
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9points
#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.
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9points
#19
The animated film 'Frozen' had the biggest Thanksgiving opening ever.
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9points