How Much Do You Know About Thanksgiving?

Editor's Note: George Washington was the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day in 1789. It wasn't until 1863 that Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of the month as a national holiday.  

There is no doubt the Union soldiers heartily enjoyed the extra rations received on that day, while the Confederate troops were quite hungry.  It is interesting to note the Confederate troops halted their fire on that one day so the Union troops could enjoy their national day of Thanksgiving.  



(SPM Wire) In addition to stuffing your guests' stomachs this Thanksgiving, here are some fun Turkey Day facts to fill their minds:

* Thanksgiving wasn't a national holiday until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last day in November a national day of thanksgiving. 

* President Franklin Roosevelt amended the holiday to fall on the fourth Thursday of November (avoiding the occasional fifth Thursday), in order to allocate more weeks to holiday shopping.

* More than 232 million turkeys were raised in the United States this year alone, with the majority in Minnesota.

* There are five places and townships in the country named Cranberry or some variation thereof.

* An estimated 117 million households will celebrate Thanksgiving this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.


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Thanksgiving Thoughts: 1621 Style

Edward Winslow, a passenger on the Mayflower at the age of 25 and one of the first pilgrims to step on shore, wrote about his 1621 Thanksgiving experience in "A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth."

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, among other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed upon our governor, and upon the captain, and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Happy Thanksgiving from the University of West Georgia

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