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Which state raises the most turkeys?
Raising about 49 million turkeys each year, Minnesota is the top turkey-producing state in the country.
After Minnesota comes North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia, Missouri and Indiana.
Together these six states raise more than two-thirds of America’s Thanksgiving birds.
Who proposed the turkey to be the national bird of the United States?
If Benjamin Franklin had his way, we wouldn’t be eating turkey at all; instead, it would have been named the national bird over the bald eagle. In a 1784 letter to his daughter, he claimed that the turkey would have been the more appropriate choice, calling it “a much more respectable Bird”, “a true original Native of America” and “though a little vain and silly, a Bird of Courage.”
Who was the first President to pardon a turkey?
President Harry Truman began the modern tradition of pardoning a turkey in 1947. President Lincoln, who designated Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, is believed to have also informally given a pass to his son Tad’s pet turkey. But no President was as gracious to turkeys as President George W. Bush, who pardoned two turkeys in 2007. Those turkeys left the White House and flew down to Disney World, where they served as grand marshals for the Disney World Thanksgiving Parade.
Which NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving Day?
If part of your Thanksgiving traditions include watching football, chances are you’re cheering for the Lions or the Cowboys. Since 1934, the Detroit Lions have played a Thanksgiving Day game, no matter what. The Dallas Cowboys joined in the tradition, playing every year since 1966. There may not be as many people in the stands this year, but you can still watch from home as the Lions play the Houston Texans and the Cowboys play Washington.
What’s the most searched Thanksgiving side dish in the most states?
Almost every Thanksgiving table will feature a turkey, but what about the sides? Everyone has their favorites, and some dishes are specific to different regions. Only in Maine will you find “side salad” as the favorite side dish. You’re likely to find green bean casserole all across the country, but the Southeast particularly loves its mac and cheese. The favorite, though, is mashed potatoes, which reigns supreme (and covered in gravy) in 10 states.
Which Thanksgiving favorite spawned the invention of the TV dinner?
“Necessity is the mother of invention” isn’t just a cliché; it’s true. In 1953, the C.A. Swanson & Sons poultry company drastically overestimated the market for Thanksgiving turkey and was left wondering what to do with 260 tons of frozen turkeys. A salesman was inspired by the airline food he received, and suggested the company make their own. Five thousand aluminum trays and a few traditional Thanksgiving sides later, and the first TV dinner was sold at a price of 98 cents. Swanson remains one of the leading brands in the now more than $1 billion annual frozen-dinner market.
In what year was the first North American Thanksgiving?
The first known Thanksgiving service in North America occurred in 1578 in Nunavut, Canada. Sir Martin Frobisher and his crew held a celebration for their safe arrival from Europe to the New World, expressing gratitude to God for “their strange and miraculous deliverance in those so dangerous places.” It wouldn’t be until 1621 that the Plymouth Colony celebrated its first Thanksgiving.
The first U.S. Thanksgiving honored what Revolutionary War battle?
In 1777, after British General John Burgoyne surrendered to the Americans at Saratoga, New York, the Continental Congress suggested that a national day be set aside to recognize the victory. General George Washington then proclaimed December 18, 1777, as the first national Thanksgiving. Washington declared another national day of thanks on November 26, 1789, to honor the creation of the new U.S. Constitution.
Who encouraged Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Previous presidents had issued proclamations declaring days of thanksgiving, but President Lincoln was the first one to make it a national holiday. He was inspired by Sarah Josepha Hale, writer of the children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and editor of “Godey’s Ladies Book”, one of the most influential periodicals of the time. She wrote many editorials about how a national day of thanksgiving could bring together the divided North and South. After Lincoln again announced a Thanksgiving proclamation in 1862 and 1863, Hale urged the President to make it a national holiday. After receiving her letter in September 1863, Lincoln announced the final Thursday in November would be honored as a national observance of Thanksgiving.
What was the theme of the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Even though it has been a favorite turkey day tradition for New Yorkers and those watching from home for almost 100 years, the very first Macy’s parade didn’t have anything to do with the holiday. The “Macy’s Christmas Parade” Nov. 27, 1924 was Mother Goose themed, to correspond with the nursery-rhyme theme of the department store’s window displays. Along with Santa bringing up the rear, there were floats featuring the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Little Miss Muffet and Red Riding Hood. And instead of the giant balloons we’re accustomed to today, bears, elephants, camels and monkeys were on loan from the Central Park Zoo.
Source: www.quizdaily.com
