Facts about Thanksgiving
- 10
Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented the President with a live turkey on Thanksgiving, a tradition that evolved into the modern presidential pardon ceremony in 1989.
- 09
Benjamin Franklin famously preferred the wild turkey over the bald eagle as America's national bird, arguing the turkey was a more respectable and native bird of better moral character.
- 08
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first debuted on November 27, 1924, with a 6-mile route through Manhattan and has grown to attract approximately 3.5 million spectators annually.
- 07
Each year, roughly 50 million pounds of sweet potatoes are consumed during Thanksgiving, with most served as candied casseroles topped with marshmallows.
- 06
Approximately 280 million pounds of stuffing are consumed during Thanksgiving in the United States, making it one of the most popular side dishes alongside mashed potatoes.
- 05
Cranberry sauce became a Thanksgiving staple only in the 20th century, as the tart berry was too labor-intensive to process before mechanical grinders made it accessible to home cooks.
- 04
The average American household discards approximately 204 million pounds of food during Thanksgiving week, nearly four times the weekly average waste.
- 03
Over 90 percent of American households serve turkey at Thanksgiving, though the bird wasn't actually served at the first 1621 harvest celebration between Pilgrims and Wampanoag people.
- 02
Americans consume approximately 46 million turkeys during Thanksgiving, making it the second-largest eating occasion in the United States after Christmas.
- 01
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the fourth Thursday to the third Thursday of November to extend the Christmas shopping season.