As families and friends gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, it’s an ideal time to delve into the rich tapestry of traditions and history that define this cherished holiday. Beyond the customary turkey and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving harbors numerous intriguing facts that add depth to its observance. Here are 12 lesser-known insights to enrich your understanding and conversations this season:
1. Turkey Wasn’t on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving
The inaugural Thanksgiving feast in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag likely did not feature turkey. Instead, the menu included venison, various fowl such as ducks and geese, seafood like fish and shellfish, and indigenous crops like corn. Modern staples such as potatoes, sweetened cranberry sauce, and pies were absent due to limited ingredients and resources at the time. The meal reflected the seasonal and regional foods available, focusing on what could be sourced locally.
2. Live Animals Once Marched in the Macy’s Parade
The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, held in 1924, indeed included live animals that were borrowed from the Central Park Zoo. Elephants, camels, and other animals were part of the parade alongside floats and costumed participants. This was before the introduction of the large helium balloons that the parade is famous for today, which debuted in 1927.
3. Felix the Cat: The Parade’s First Balloon
In 1927, Felix the Cat became the first giant balloon featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, marking the beginning of the tradition of large character balloons. Designed by Tony Sarg, this inaugural balloon was filled with air and carried on a float. In subsequent years, balloons were filled with helium to float above the parade.
4. Butterball answers 100,000 turkey questions every holiday season
Since its inception in 1981, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line has been a valuable resource for home cooks during the holiday season. Initially, six home economists answered about 11,000 turkey-related questions. Butterball Over the years, the service has expanded significantly. Currently, more than 50 experts respond to over 100,000 questions each holiday season from households across the United States and Canada. Butterball The Talk-Line operates from November 1 through December 24, offering assistance via phone, text, live chat, and social media to accommodate the evolving needs of consumers.
5. “Drinksgiving” A New Tradition
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving has colloquially become known as “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday.” It is one of the busiest drinking nights of the year in the United States. The trend is attributed to people returning to their hometowns for the holiday, reuniting with old friends and family, and heading to bars or hosting gatherings the night before Thanksgiving.
6. Only male turkeys make gobbling
Only male turkeys, known as toms, make the characteristic gobbling sound, which they primarily use during mating season to attract females and assert dominance. Female turkeys, called hens, are generally silent, though they can make soft clucking or chirping sounds. Looks like even turkeys know how to keep it classy at family gatherings.
7. Cranberry Sauce: Thanksgiving’s Most Divisive Dish
Cranberry sauce is indeed a traditional staple on many American Thanksgiving tables, but it elicits mixed feelings among consumers, particularly regarding the canned version. A 2023 survey indicated that 31.49% of Americans dislike cranberry sauce, making it the most disliked Thanksgiving food for the third consecutive year.
8. Rebecca : A Presidential Raccoon
In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge received a live raccoon from Mississippi intended to be part of the White House Thanksgiving dinner. However, instead of consuming the raccoon, the Coolidge family adopted her as a pet and named her Rebecca.
9. Black Friday, the busiest day for plumbers
The day after Thanksgiving is colloquially known as “Brown Friday” among plumbers due to a significant surge in service calls. This increase is primarily attributed to the aftermath of holiday meal preparations and cleanup, which often lead to clogged drains, jammed garbage disposals, and overworked plumbing systems.
10. The turkey’s tryptophan doesn’t actually make you tired
The turkey’s tryptophan isn’t solely responsible for post-meal drowsiness. While tryptophan helps produce sleep-related chemicals, the amount in turkey is similar to other meats and isn’t enough to make you sleepy. Instead, the large, carb-heavy Thanksgiving meal and the energy spent on digestion are the main culprits behind the holiday food coma.
11. “Jingle Bells” was originally a Thanksgiving Day song
In 1857, James Lord Pierpont composed a song titled “The One Horse Open Sleigh” intended for a Thanksgiving program at his father’s Sunday school in Savannah, Georgia. The song, celebrating the popular sleigh races of the time, was first performed during a Thanksgiving service. Due to its catchy melody and winter theme, it gained popularity and was later associated with Christmas, leading to its re-release in 1859 under the title “Jingle Bells.”
12. President George H. W. Bush was the first to pardon a turkey
In 1989, President George H. W. Bush formalized the tradition of pardoning a turkey during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation. During the ceremony, he announced that the turkey had been granted a “presidential pardon,” sparing it from becoming part of the Thanksgiving feast.
