First of all, fun stuff! I’m hanging out at Jessica Patch’s site today where she interviewed me for Must Meet Monday. I’m pretty sure you should head over there…not necessarily because I’m the most amazing interviewee in the world (though, if you’d like to think so, go right ahead) but because she asks such fun questions. I had to think hard about who I’d be if I could be any villain for a day…
Second, can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving? That’s mostly a rhetorical question, but if you feel compelled to answer, please know the correct reply is “no.” The year 2011 has flown like Concorde.
I know some folks who feel a bit badly for Thanksgiving. They feel the holiday is overshadowed in all things Christmas. Like a dowdy house dress next to a ball gown, I guess.
These same people are generally the ones who also get upset about peeps playing Christmas music too early. To which I reply: Um, it’s not like there’s an abundance of Thanksgiving music we’re missing out on.
These same people are generally the ones who also get upset about peeps playing Christmas music too early. To which I reply: Um, it’s not like there’s an abundance of Thanksgiving music we’re missing out on.
That said, today I’m going to give Thanksgiving its due with a few little known facts about said holiday.
-Thanksgiving wasn’t set as the fourth Thursday in November until 1941. To my fellow math-challenged friends, that’s 70 years ago and 320 years after the first Thanksgiving. (No, I so didn’t use a calculator to figure that.) Funny how long it took us to officialize the date. And we wonder why the debt supercommittee hasn’t figured things out quickly…
-Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was “the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.” Oh, Tom, what did you have against inordinate amounts of food and football?
-Speaking of famous men of yore, Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey. Slightly less majestic than the eagle. Best part of all this? Apparently Benj thought eagles had “bad moral character.” Hmmm…
-Guess how turkeys got their name? Well, ol’ Columbus thought the land he’d discovered was connected to India, where there are lots of peacocks. He figured turkeys were a type of peacock. So he named them “tuka,” which in the Tamil language of India, is translated “peacock.” Yes, a bird’s name has been immortalized because Chris was directionally challenged.
-Apparently only five female pilgrims survived the first year at the Plymouth settlement. They cooked and prepared the first Thanksgiving meal for the whole colony of over 90 people…which lasted for three days. What they wouldn’t have given for a dishwasher, huh!
-The first Thanksgiving meal in 1621 was eaten with only spoons and knives – no forks. Forks weren’t introduced until 10 years later and weren’t used regularly until the 18th century.
So there we go! I’ve shined the spotlight on Thanksgiving Day and even hummed “Over the River and through the woods” as I wrote since it’s the one Thanksgiving song I know. And be sure to stay tuned for a fun Thanksgiving video on Friday!
In the meantime, do you have a favorite Thanksgiving memory? I have lots, but I have a feeling I’ll end up with a new favorite memory this Thursday…when I attempt eating my Thanksgiving meal sans fork like the pilgrims.
Oh, and don’t forget to stop by Jessica Patch’s site today where she interviewed me for Must Meet Monday. You should definitely follow her blog. It’s a blast!
Comments 4
I’m amazed at your knowledge and I truly believe if you had taught my 7th grade history class, I might still know some of it. 🙂
So glad to have you hanging out today!!! How fun!
LOL! I love how you present facts, but end them with fun tidbits of goofiness–kind of like eating ice cream after choking down broccoli.
Hehehe, Jess…confession time: the Internet helped me quite a bit on that Thanksgiving trivia. The Internet is my friend. 🙂 Thanks so much for having me on your blog today – how fun!!
Haha, glad the goofy tidbits made the facts bearable, Lisa. 🙂 Now…I need some ice cream!