Sure, we all know about the pilgrims and their famed harvest celebration with the indigenous people in Plymouth, Massachusetts, but we bet you didn’t know these 5 fun facts about Thanksgiving!
- The First Thanksgiving Menu: The original Thanksgiving feast in 1621 likely included venison, seafood, and wildfowl like duck or goose, rather than turkey. The meal also featured native fruits and vegetables, but no pies, since the Pilgrims had run out of sugar.
- TV Dinner Origins: In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered 260 tons of frozen turkeys. To use them up, a salesman suggested making them into meals served in compartmentalized trays, and thus, the TV dinner was born!
- Pardoning the Turkey: The tradition of pardoning a turkey officially began with President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Each year since, the sitting president spares a turkey from becoming dinner, and the bird retires to a farm or sanctuary.
- Thanksgiving Day Football: The first Thanksgiving Day football game was played in 1876, just a few years after the sport was invented. College teams like Yale and Princeton began a tradition that later included professional teams, making football an integral part of Thanksgiving celebrations.
- Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a beloved annual event, started in 1924 and originally featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo instead of balloons. It has since become famous for its giant character balloons, marching bands, and elaborate floats.
