It's also the time of year that the average American consumes 16-18 lbs of turkey, the time of year when tryptophan is a valid excuse for skipping the dishes, and the time of year polite citizens don cleats and pepper spray for early morning department store tramplings. We've compiled a list of some interesting Thanksgiving facts to start a conversation around the kids table this year (don't lie, you still sit there.) Check it out!
- 91% of Americans eat Turkey on Thanksgiving
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the official U.S. bird
- Thomas Jefferson thought that Thanksgiving was "The most ridiculous idea I've ever heard..."
- President Abraham Lincoln made an official proclamation to observe Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of each November
- President Franklin Roosevelt declared Thanksgiving be observed a week earlier to entice holiday shopping and boost the economy during the end of the Great Depression
- Congress declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1941
- The Pilgrims were accompanied by the Wampanoag Tribe of Natice Americans during the first Thanksgiving feast
- During the first Thanksgiving, the meal consisted of deer, lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese as opposed to our standard Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, etc.
