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The first Thanksgiving was observed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. A good autumn harvest led the Pilgrims to hold a feast to give thanks that lasted for three days.
Gobble and Waddle, each weighing about 50 pounds, were pardoned and will live out their lives at North Carolina State University's Prestage Department of Poultry Science.
George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation on October 3, 1789. Abraham Lincoln would later declare Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
Minnesota usually raises the most turkeys, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Around 32 million birds were raised in the state in 2024, followed by 27 million raised in North Carolina.
The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $21.50, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, down more than 16% from last year.
A Campbell’s home economist named Dorcas Reilly invented the “Green Bean Bake” as a new way to use Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup. It wasn’t originally intended as a Thanksgiving favorite, but it quickly became one.
Americans consume 80 million pounds of cranberries during Thanksgiving week and nearly 400 million pounds total per year — mostly in the form of juice or juice blends.
Philadelphia’s Gimbel Brothers Department Store staged a Thanksgiving procession in 1920 with 50 people, 15 cars and a fireman dressed as Santa Claus to usher in the holiday shopping season. Macy’s in New York held its first parade in 1924.
The Detroit Lions have played more than 80 games on Thanksgiving Day, a tradition that first began in 1934.
Turkey contains tryptophan, which is often believed to be responsible for the uncontrollable yawns and sudden snoozes common after huge family feasts.
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