Thanksgiving: More Than A Buffet
Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day most set aside for amazing food, loving family and crazy football. Thanksgiving is a part of the American fabric and most Americans don’t even know the significance of some the tiny details of this great holiday. For this reason, we have compiled some fun facts about Thanksgiving and its traditions.
- Cranberries were used by the Native Americans for various reasons such as dye and food. There is no picture evidence, but it was actually used for the first Thanksgiving in 1621.
- The Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated during the month of October. In 1957 the Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey, set aside the second Monday in October as Thanksgiving. Before this, the official day set aside for Thanksgiving was the third Monday of October.
- The Detroit Lions have always played football on Thanksgiving as well as the Dallas Cowboys. People watch these games religiously!
- The famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was originally called the Macy’s Christmas Parade, even though it was hosted on Thanksgiving. Although this parade is still the same as today, the original parade had live animals from camels to elephants, but no balloons!
- Benjamin Franklin wanted the Turkey to be our country’s official bird. In a letter to his daughter, he wrote “I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth, the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America…”
- Some part of Plymouth, Massachusetts looks just as it did in the 17th century. You can order tickets to have a Thanksgiving dinner there and enjoy the scenery there and hear the story of the first Thanksgiving.