Indulge in Thanksgiving trivia
People near and far will gather on Thanksgiving to indulge in a traditional feast dating back to the 16th century, but for some, the national holiday has come to include more than the trio of food, family and friends.
While the pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe are credited as Thanksgiving’s founders, ceremonies to celebrate bountiful harvests date back to ancient times.
Today, however, one company points out that the Thanksgiving we celebrate is much different.
With all due respect to turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie, research by Wallet Hub has found that many people indulge themselves in a pair of additional F’s, “football and Friday.”
According to Wallet Hub, a financial analyst company based in Washington, D.C., the NFL’s three-game Thanksgiving slate earned more than 85 million combined viewers last year, and consumers spent more than $10 billion on Black Friday shopping on top of the billions spent preparing for the holiday itself.
In celebration of Thanksgiving and the kickoff to the holiday shopping season, Wallet Hub provides a list of interesting trivia to whet your appetite.
You can also use it to strike up a conversation at the dinner table after you give thanks for your feast, of course.
n The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621, a three-day harvest feast shared by settlers of the Plymouth Colony and members of the Wampanoag tribe.
n Oct. 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaims Thanksgiving a national holiday.
n 1989, First year a president, (George H.W. Bush) officially pardons a turkey.
n Two turkeys are sent to the White House each year.
n Four U.S. towns are named Turkey in the states of Arizona, North Carolina, Texas and California.
n Thanksgiving ranks second among America’s favorite holidays.
n Average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500.
n Estimated number of turkeys killed each year for Thanksgiving is 46 million.
n 100,000 plus calls are answered by the Butterball turkey hotline each November and December.
n 72 percent of Americans plan to spend Thanksgiving dinner with six or more people.
n The average cost of a 16-pound whole, frozen turkey is $14.46.
n $670 million is spent on Thanksgiving turkeys each year.
n 83 percent of hosts prepare the entire feast solo.
n The average person will spend $299 or more Thanksgiving weekend.
n 151 million shopped over the Thanksgiving weekend last year.
n $4.45 billion was spent online last year over the holiday weekend.
n 16 million Thanksgiving cards are exchanged each year.
n The Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade route is 2.65 miles and includes about 8,000 participants.
n 46.9 million people will travel Thanksgiving weekend and 89 percent will drive.
For more Thanksgiving trivia, visit WalletHub report: https://wallethub.com/blog/thanksgiving-facts.