Thanksgiving Trivia

Following a brutal winter in the New World, the Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest in 1621 with a Thanksgiving feast. 90 members of the Wampanoag tribe and their chief, Massasoit attended. The Native Americans initially went to investigate the sounds of gunfire, which turned out to be the Pilgrims’ celebration. Upon this discovery, Massasoit sent his hunters out and they returned with five deer and numerous fowl to share with the Pilgrims over the course of their three day Thanksgiving celebration.

• Thanksgiving wasn’t considered a national holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln released a proclamation, officially establishing the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving holiday was later moved to the fourth Thursday in November by President Franklin Roosevelt.

• Canadians also celebrate Thanksgiving; however theirs is on the 2nd Monday in October.

• Over 45 million turkeys are prepared and eaten in the United States for Thanksgiving each year.

• Did you know that turkeys can run up to 25 MPH and fly up to 55 MPH, see in color, have excellent hearing but have no ears, and sometimes sleep in trees?

• Turkeys may "gobble, gobble" in English, but in Spanish they say, "gluglú, gluglú"!