Thanksgiving Day Celebration - Facts And Myths
In 4 month's time, specifically on the 4th Thursday of November, we will be celebrating Thanksgiving weekend 2012. You've probably celebrated countless Thanksgivings with your family, but our guess is that there are still a number of things you are unfamiliar with about this American holiday. Below are some interesting things about Thanksgiving.
The Turkey Tradition
Roughly forty-six million turkeys -or about seven hundred forty million pounds of turkey meat - will be consumed during this American Holiday. Minnesota is the country's top turkey-producing state, followed by North Carolina, Arkansas, Missouri, Virginia, and Indiana. These 6 states produce 2 in every three US raised birds.
Each year at least two lucky turkeys are saved from being served on the dinner table because of a longstanding tradition which began in Washingtons time of giving presidential pardon to these fowls.
The turkeys served these days to commemorate the first Thanksgiving aren't really historically accurate since the pilgrims would have had wild turkey, which are not only smaller but are also capable of flying in bursts unlike farm bred turkeys. Wild turkeys were so common in America in the eighteenth century that Benjamin Franklin even made it known that he wanted the turkey to be the official US bird, not the bald eagle.
The First Thanksgiving Menu
Surprisingly, the star at the dinner table when Pilgrims celebrated the first thanksgiving in 1621 in what is now the area of Massachusetts was deer meat, not turkey. The truth is, the majority of what we consider traditional Thanksgiving fare was unheard of at the first Thanksgiving. Potatoes and sweet potatoes weren't introduced yet that time, and cranberry sauce was difficult to find. Pumpkin pie was also likely not of the menu then because of the fact that the crust ingredients were still hard to come by then. If you wish to eat like a Pilgrim yourself this Thanksgiving Weekend 2012, serve stewed pumpkin, succotash, and venison dishes instead.
Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade
The tradition began in 1924, and unlike the helium-filled balloons used today, the first 3 parades showcased Central Park Zoo animals. The balloons were used only in 1927, and in the early years, were launched above the skyline with the assurance of rewards for those who did find them.
For 242 years it was not a holiday It is the 1621 Plymouth Thanksgiving that is associated to the birth of this American modern holiday. Almost everything that we know regarding the Plymouth celebration is based on a description in a letter wrote by Edward Winslow, the leader of that colony. However that letter was misplaced for 200 years, and was only found again in the 19th century. From that letter though, it was clear that the feast was not something that was intended to be commemorated annually. The said letter has been covered extensively in various magazines, and in 1863, US President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday. For more information on thanksgiving, follow this link.