Unless you live under a rock (in which case you wouldn’t be reading this blog), you know that the holiday season is upon us. After all, the radio is filled with warm holiday music, seemingly every commercial on tv has a holiday jingle and reference to jolly ol’ saint Nick, and retail stores have aisles of Christmas decorations on display.
Wait, what? Christmas decorations? Yep, you read that right, the turkey hasn’t even had his big day, but Saint Nick is already stealing the show.
Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t the kind of people who get upset by Christmas overtaking Thanksgiving. We love all holidays equally. So, this week for our blog we thought it would be fun to share some Thanksgiving fun facts and trivia so you can wow your dinner guests over your delicious Thanksgiving meal.
The First Thanksgiving
We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving held in 1621 with the Pilgrims and Native Americans. But, did you know many historians believe that among the 50 pilgrims only 5 were women due to the harshness of the first year in North America?
Thanksgiving Gave Way to the TV Dinner
In 1953, Swanson had so much extra turkey leftover, they started packaging it in aluminum trays with other sides. Thus, the TV dinner was created.
The First Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Macy’s started their holiday parade tradition way back in 1924 to celebrate their expansion and new title as the ‘World’s Largest Store’. It was called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, and featured several animals loaned from the Central Park Zoo.
Black Friday Isn’t Just the Busiest Shopping Day of the Year
For many, Black Friday signifies the busiest shopping day of the year. However, a recent study found that plumbers are busy too. Plumbing calls increase by 50% on Black Friday and business increases by 21%.
Mary Had a Little…turkey?
Sarah Josepha Hale, the writer and editor who penned the popular ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ was also responsible for convincing President Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Turkey by the Numbers
The National Turkey Foundation, yes that’s a real foundation, claims that 88% of Americans consume Turkey on Thanksgiving. This adds up to nearly 46 million turkeys.
It’s Not the Tryptophan that Has You Trippin’
Most people assume that it is the tryptophan in the turkey that causes you to be tired after Thanksgiving dinner. The truth is, chicken has more tryptophan than turkey. You’re just more tired because of how hard your body is working to digest the large meal.
The Leftovers
According to a recent Harris Poll, 80% of Americans prefer Thanksgiving leftovers to the original meal itself.
The Turkey Bowl
The Thanksgiving Day tradition of a football game played on the holiday started in 1924 “when the Detroit Lions played the Chicago Bears in the first NFL game broadcast nationally.”
A Thanksgiving World Record
The heaviest recorded turkey by the Guinness Book of World Records weighed in at a whopping 86 pounds.
We hope you enjoyed these Thanksgiving Day fun facts. If you plan on hosting an elderly loved one for the holiday we urge you to read our blog discussing 11 Thanksgiving Tips for the Elderly. You can find it here: https://wisercareservices.com/blog/11-thanksgiving-tips-for-the-elderly/ .
If would like help developing a care plan of any kind please feel free to contact us. Wiser Home Care Services can help your family establish a care plan to personally accommodate your loved one’s needs and help prevent falls and fall-related injuries.
Happy Thanksgiving!