Fun Turkey Facts
Fun Turkey Facts
For our blog this week, Gala thought it would be fun to incorporate some fun turkey facts that you might be able to take to your Thanksgiving Day feast and share….
Of course, we all should know that the Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving after they sailed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower to reach North America. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Massachusetts and were joined by the Wampanoag Indians who taught and helped them to work the land to raise crops and food.
However, here are some facts that you may not have known. The leader of the Pilgrims was Governor William Bradford who organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621 and it lasted three days. The kind of foods that were thought to be eaten that day were: fish, milk, onions and leeks, dried fruits and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, wild game such as rabbit, beans and nuts, lobster and possibly chicken. (Doesn’t sound like our traditional turkey, stuffing or dressing, corn, greens, and pumpkin and pecan pie, does it?)
Now for some US Historical facts: Did you know that Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey instead of the eagle? Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was persuaded to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday by Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor who wrote “Mary Had a Little Lamb”? President Lincoln, in October 1863, officially made the last Thursday in November as the national day for Thanksgiving. In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd instead of the 30th in order to extend the Christmas shopping season and then Congress passed a law on December 26, 1941 declaring that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year.
Finally, since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented a live turkey and two stuffed turkeys to the President. The president “pardons” the live turkey and it is allowed to live out its days on a historical farm and not be eaten.
The fun facts about Thanksgiving: About 280 millions turkeys are sold every year in the US for the Thanksgiving celebration. Each year, the average person eats between 16 – 18 lbs of turkey and Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the US.
The largest turkey ever recorded was 86 pounds and the average weight of a turkey purchased during Thanksgiving is around 15 pounds (which is about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat).
The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger. Gala would like for you to check out our Pins on our Pinterest page for great ideas on how use your leftover turkey this year! There, you will find great ideas for recipes as well as centerpieces and decorations! http://www.pinterest.com/galainmarietta/
Gala wishes you all a Happy Thanksgiving and we hope you get to spend your time with family and friends! Be Safe!