Thanksgiving History, Trivia, and Fun Facts |
Thanksgiving History Highlights |
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Traditional Thanksgiving Pardon |
Every year before the Thanksgiving holiday, the President chooses a turkey or two who will be spared from ending up on your dining room table. In a ceremony that takes place at the White House, one official turkey is pardoned as well as the occasional alternate gobbler.
Some say that this tradition started with Harry Truman in 1947*, but it became official in 1989, with President G.W. Bush. Rumor has it, the turkey President Truman ‘pardoned’ was actually his selected Thanksgiving meal. Names for the lucky birds are chosen by voters on the White House website. Here is a list of some previously pardoned turkeys: |
Turkey Trivia |
Turkeys are native to North America Male Turkeys are called Toms, female turkeys are called Hens and baby turkeys are called poults. Benjamin Franklin argued that the Turkey should be our National Bird. |
Thanksgiving Etiquette |
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Thanksgiving Birthday Quotes |
I love November and the American tradition of Thanksgiving. But in reality, every day should be Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude, an acknowledgment of favors or divine goodness. It is an act of appreciation, often directed to God for all He has done or is doing in our lives. We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. Thanksgiving day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. |
Thanksgiving Jokes |
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store but she couldn’t find one big enough for her family.
She asked a stock boy, ‘Do these turkeys get any bigger?’ The stock boy replied, ‘No ma’am, they’re dead.’ “May I say the prayer before Thanksgiving dinner?” Thanksgiving, for me, was the only holiday that wasn’t completely commercialized like Christmas, Halloween, and Easter till Black Friday rolled around. How many cooks does it take to stuff a turkey? Why did the pilgrim’s pants fall down? When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving? If April showers bring May flowers what do May flowers bring? |
Other Thanksgiving Birthday Quotes |
I’m excited about Thanksgiving because I love unwelcome parenting advice from relatives I see twice a year.
Thanksgiving is great because people tend to speak less when food is lodged in their mouths. There is a special place in hell for people that play Christmas music before Thanksgiving. You don’t need Thanksgiving to hate your family. Turkeys make the same sound that Americans do as they consume them every Thanksgiving. If I was a turkey, I’d be doing everything I could to taste terrible right now. On Thanksgiving Day, all over America, families sit down to dinner at the same moment… halftime. Happy Turkey Day, America! Don’t forget to name the turkey and make everyone uncomfortable. Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often. |
More Pop Culture History Resources |