10 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

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Thanksgiving in the United States is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and is a great reminder of all the blessings we have in our lives. Here are 10 facts that I find interesting about the holiday.

1. We’ll start off at the beginning with a reminder that Thanksgiving has been around for a few years. The original Thanksgiving was actually a three-day-long affair. The Mayflower pilgrims founded the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts in 1621. The settlers’ first corn harvest was so bountiful that Governor William Bradford invited their Native American allies to enjoy the abundance. Members of the Wampanoag waam·puh·now·ag tribe came with food to share, too. There was so much food, the event continued for 3 days.
2. We all know that there is a country named Turkey, but did you know there are four U.S. towns named Turkey? There’s one in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Oh, and by the way, there’s also a Cranberry, Maryland for those of you who love that side dish.
3. The average American consumes 3,500-4,000 calories on Thanksgiving, which by the way, takes an average male anywhere from 8-9 hours to burn that many calories.
4. We all know that turkeys go gobble gobble, right? Well, we’re only half right. You see, only the male turkeys gobble. The female turkeys make a clicking sound or a cackle-type sound. The male gobblers are really loud. They can often be heard from a mile away.
5. We all know the nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, but did you know that the author, Sarah Josepha Hale, is credited with lobbying Abraham Lincoln so much that he made it an official national holiday in 1863? Because of her persistence and the many letters she sent him, Sarah Josepha Hale also became known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving”.
6. The green bean casserole was actually invented by a woman who worked for Campbell’s Soup Company. Dorcas Reilly originally created the Green Bean Bake in 1955, which would be a recipe put on the labels of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup cans.
7. Quick, name your favorite Thanksgiving song. If you’re like me, it’s hard to think of a Turkey Day song, but one of our favorite Christmas songs was actually supposed to be a Thanksgiving song. James Lord Pierpont wrote “Jingle Bells” in 1857 with the intention that it be sung on Thanksgiving. Feel free to sing it loud and proud at all of your family gatherings this year.
8. The American Pie Council claims that Apple pie is the favorite among Americans, not the pumpkin pie (though it was second). Rounding out the top five favorite pies were pecan, banana cream, and cherry.
9. If you’re a football fan, then you’re always treated to some NFL games on Thanksgiving Day. Starting in 1934, the Detroit Lions play in the early afternoon game and since 1966, “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys have played the late afternoon game. Other teams had played on Thanksgiving Day prior to 1934, but the Lions were different because their owner George A. Richards owned a radio station that was a major affiliate of the NBC Blue Network. Richards negotiated an agreement with NBC to broadcast his Thanksgiving games on 94 stations across the country. It was wildly successful and thus a tradition was born. In 2006, the NFL added a third game to the mix. The teams playing in the prime-time game are different each year.
10. You probably know that female chickens are called hens, but did you know the same applies to the female turkey? By the way, if you’re having lobster at your Thanksgiving meal, you might want to know that the female lobster is also called a hen.

Well, now you know, and as GI Joe used to say, “Knowing is half the battle.” You’re now better equipped to drop some knowledge and change the subject at the dinner table as relatives start to talk politics or discuss who Cousin Eddy will be staying with this upcoming Christmas holiday. But seriously though, enjoy the time with friends and family and remember that it’s not happy people who are thankful but rather thankful people who are happy.

 

Jamy Bechler is the author of five books including “The Captain” and “The Bus Trip”, host of the “Success is a Choice Podcast”, professional speaker, and trains organizations on creating championship cultures. He previously spent 20 years as a college basketball coach and administrator.  TheLeadershipPlaybook.com is Bechler’s online program that helps athletes become better teammates and more positive leaders while strengthening a team’s culture. As a certified John Maxwell leadership coach, Bechler has worked with businesses and teams, including the NBA. Follow him on Twitter at @CoachBechler. To connect with him via email or find out about his services, please contact speaking@CoachBechler.com. You can also subscribe to his insights on success and leadership by visiting JamyBechler.com/newsletter.