Thanksgiving is a national holiday that is steeped in history, yet many people don’t know a lot of facts about it besides their own traditions of football and turkey. The following facts are fun bits of Thanksgiving trivia that every American should know. Use them to impress your friends or stimulate conversation about the history of Thanksgiving at your holiday table.
1. The Pilgrims first landed in Provincetown, not Plymouth.
When the pilgrims reached the new world, they arrived in Provincetown, Massachusetts and signed the Mayflower Compact. However, they disliked the geography and sailed on to Plymouth Rock to create their permanent settlement.
2. The first Thanksgiving meal featured deer, not turkey.
While we have no actual record of the first Thanksgiving feast, Edward Winslow recorded in his journal that the Indians brought five deer for the feast. We also know that sugar was scarce for the pilgrims at that time, so there were probably no cakes or pies that mark our feasts today.
3. The official Thanksgiving holiday was shaped by several of our great Presidents.
George Washington issued the first official Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November every year. And in 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt moved it up a week to spur retail sales during the Great Depression; however, he reluctantly moved it back to its original date in 1941.
4. Some turkeys get lucky every year.
Each Thanksgiving, the president officially “pardons” one or two turkeys from being slaughtered for a meal, and instead sends them to a farm to retire in peace. This tradition started in the mid-20th century, and many state governors across the country also practice the ritual.
5. Turkeys were cheap and easy.
While it’s not known whether or not a turkey was remotely present at the first Thanksgiving dinner, records show that turkeys started taking center stage on our Thanksgiving tables as early as the mid-1700s. These large birds were cheaper than chicken and other meats, easy to find, and could feed a crowd. Today, it’s the only must-have on almost any American Thanksgiving table.
6. The Thanksgiving national football tradition began with the Lions.
While Thanksgiving football games used to be a tradition amongst high school and college teams, we now associate Thanksgiving Day with the NFL. This all started with the Detroit Lions in 1934. It was a nationally-publicized event to gain attention for the team, and is now a long-standing sports tradition.
7. Philadelphia hosted the first Thanksgiving Day parade.
While Macy’s is synonymous with the official Thanksgiving parade the nation watches each year, it was actually their rival, Gimbels Department Store that began the Thanksgiving parade tradition in 1920 in Philadelphia. Macy’s parade was started in 1924 in New York City, and has become the Thanksgiving symbol of celebration ever since.
8. The cornucopia originated in Greece.
While we associate the cornucopia, or horn of plenty, as a symbol of Thanksgiving, its origins actually date back to 5th Century BC Greece. It comes from Greek mythology, in which Zeus drank milk from a goat’s horn, and it symbolizes prosperity. It was later adopted as a symbol for Thanksgiving.
9. Potatoes used to be thought poisonous.
While potatoes were plentiful in the new world for the pilgrims, they were not prepared and eaten at the first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims thought they were poisonous, so they were left alone. This is quite a contrast from our traditional feast today, complete with mashed potatoes drowned in turkey gravy.
10. The Indian tribe who befriended the Pilgrims still exists today.
When the pilgrims landed in Plymouth, they were befriended by the Wampanoag Tribe who brought them food and taught them to hunt wild game and plant corn. While there is a sad history of the British driving them away and killing them over time, the Wampanoag Tribe still exists today in Plymouth County, consisting of about 2000 people.