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Interesting Thanksgiving Facts
Did you ever wonder.... What kinds of food were actually served at the first
Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Indians? According to Kathleen Curtin,
Food Historian at Plymouth Plantation, we're not completely certain about the
details of that first meal, but historians are certain there was venison and wild fowl.
They suspect there weren't any pumpkin pies or other sweet foods, as the
Colonists had only a dwindling supply of sugar brought over on the Mayflower.
Furthermore, the number of vegetables available to the Colonists at this time of
year was limited, so it's unlikely they had any vegetable dishes beyond corn and
barley.
Thanksgiving was held twice in 1815... Up until President Roosevelt sanctified the
holiday by law in 1941, Thanksgivings were held randomly, and in 1815 James
Madion declared Thanksgiving would occur twice, neither of which happened in
autumn. One of the feasts was called in celebration of the Union victory at
Gettysburg.
The first Thanksgiving... Lasted for three days and was a secular event not
repeated again until 1789, when George Washington declared it a National Day.
Over 280 Million... Turkeys are sold in the United States each year for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
Strange turkey facts.
Turkeys can drown if they look up when its raining. Turkeys sleep in trees, can run
up to 20 miles per hour, burst into flight at speeds of 50-55 miles per hour in a
matter of seconds, and have a field of vision of 270 degrees, making them very
elusive to hunters.
Did you ever wonder.... What kinds of food were actually served at the first
Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and the Indians? According to Kathleen Curtin,
Food Historian at Plymouth Plantation, we're not completely certain about the
details of that first meal, but historians are certain there was venison and wild fowl.
They suspect there weren't any pumpkin pies or other sweet foods, as the
Colonists had only a dwindling supply of sugar brought over on the Mayflower.
Furthermore, the number of vegetables available to the Colonists at this time of
year was limited, so it's unlikely they had any vegetable dishes beyond corn and
barley.
Thanksgiving was held twice in 1815... Up until President Roosevelt sanctified the
holiday by law in 1941, Thanksgivings were held randomly, and in 1815 James
Madion declared Thanksgiving would occur twice, neither of which happened in
autumn. One of the feasts was called in celebration of the Union victory at
Gettysburg.
The first Thanksgiving... Lasted for three days and was a secular event not
repeated again until 1789, when George Washington declared it a National Day.
Over 280 Million... Turkeys are sold in the United States each year for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
Strange turkey facts.
Turkeys can drown if they look up when its raining. Turkeys sleep in trees, can run
up to 20 miles per hour, burst into flight at speeds of 50-55 miles per hour in a
matter of seconds, and have a field of vision of 270 degrees, making them very
elusive to hunters.
Executive Chef Michael D. Mendillo