Best of Parenting 2023

Best of Parenting 2023

Nov 21, 2017

All About Thanksgiving

"Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude." -Nigel Hamilton

As Thanksgiving is just a few days away, check out these fun Thanksgiving facts that can be shared during the holiday weekend. 

The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days. Many historians believe that only five women were present at that first Thanksgiving, as many women settlers didn't survive that difficult first year in the U.

Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen

No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving: Historians say that no turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving! What was on the menu? Deer or venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobster, eel and fish. They probably ate pumpkins, but no pumpkin pies. They also didn't eat mashed potatoes or cranberry relish, but they probably ate cranberries. And no, Turduckens (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken) were nowhere to be found during that first Thanksgiving.

No Forks! The first Thanksgiving was eaten with spoons and knives — but no forks! That's right, forks weren't even introduced to the Pilgrims until 10 years later and weren't a popular utensil until the 18th century.

Turkey! Americans eat 46 million turkeys each Thanksgiving.

The heaviest turkey on record, according to the Guinness Book of Records, weighs 86 pounds.

Campbell's soup created green bean casserole for an annual cookbook 50 years ago. It now sells $20 million worth of cream of mushroom soup.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR SCHOOL FAMILY!!