The Foods
This popular Thanksgiving vegetable was grown in space...
What is: The potato
In 1995, in collaboration between NASA and the University of Wisconsin, potatoes were growing in space inside the Columbia space shuttle. They were grown in an experiment to examine how micro-gravity would affect their growth since the potatoes were growing in a zero-gravity environment. Potatoes were the veggie of choice because they are able to be grown in a variety of climates, are very sturdy and adaptable, and are a great source of nutrients, perfect for the astronauts living aboard the space shuttle to eat.
This parade has an average of 3.5 million attendees...
What is: The Macy's Day Parade
An additional 50 million end up watching at home.
This State raises the most Turkeys...
What is: Minnesota
According to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, Minnesota has "long been" the turkey capital in the United States and has consistently ranked #1 in turkey production, raising 40 to 42 million birds a year.
The average number of guests for a Thanksgiving Dinner is...
What is: 11
A 2023 LendingTree survey found that on average, most hosts expect 11 guests and usually spend about $361 on food, drink and decor, a number that with rising costs will most likely be higher this year.
This is the busiest day of the year for plumbers...
What is: Black Friday
Thanks to all that food we gobble up on Thanksgiving (see these leftover turkey recipes) and houseguests stressing out the plumbing system, Roto-Rooter reports that kitchen drains, garbage disposals and yes, toilets, require more attention the day after Thanksgiving than any other day. Before you have to join the legions paying a hefty holiday bill, you may want to remind your kitchen clean-up crew to scrape the plates before washing.
This popular Thanksgiving dessert broke world records when it weighed in at 3,699lbs...
What is: Pumpkin Pie
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the pie, made by New Bremen Giant Pumpkin Growers in Ohio on September 25, 2010, weighed almost 3,700 pounds and was 20 feet in diameter. It was made with 197 cans of pumpkin, over 200 dozen eggs, 100 gallons of evaporated milk, 525 pounds of sugar, three pounds of pumpkin pie spice, seven pounds of salt and 12.4 pounds of cinnamon.
This city is the home to the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade...
What is: Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Gimbel Brothers Department Store parade in 1920 had only 50 people, 15 cars and a fireman dressed as Santa Claus. The parade ended with Santa on his sleigh, signifying the arrival of the holiday season. Today, it’s much bigger and called the 6ABC Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade instead. It was the inspiration behind the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Day Parade which started in 1924.
This record breaking Turkey made the Guinness Book of World Records with the weight of...
What is: 86 pounds
Yes, you read that right — a whopping 86 pounds. According to Guinness, a turkey named Tyson who weighed 86 pounds was sold at a charity auction in London in 1989 for about $6,692. For comparison, a typical Thanksgiving turkey usually weighs around 15 pounds.
The World's most expensive Thanksgiving Dinner cost a whopping...
What is: $181,000
Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan served up the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner in 2019 which was a whopping $181,000. Designed to serve 12 people, the dinner included two 20-lb. free-range turkeys covered in $2,000 edible gold flakes and seasoned with imported spices from the Middle East that came with a gravy infused with a $3,650 bottle of Louis XIII cognac. The meal also included seafood bread stuffing — made with imported bread and champagne, Alaskan King crab, lobster, Otoro tuna and golden caviar from the Caspian Sea — along with candied sweet potatoes made with imported cinnamon from Sri Lanka and butternut squash with Indian-imported spices and Wagyu beef along with cranberry sauce, veggies and more. And of course, dessert included pumpkin, apple, coconut custard and pecan pies along with a choice of Cristal or Dom Perignon champagne or wine. Talk about a meal made for a King!
This is the biggest safety hazard every Thanksgiving...
What is: Fires
With all the cooking and baking going on, it's not surprising that kitchen fires are the most common danger on Thanksgiving. Make sure your smoke alarms work properly and that flammable items like rags are out of reach and away from flames. The day after Thanksgiving is also one of the busiest days of the year for pet ERs, so be careful around your furry friends.
According to American's this is the best part of Thanksgiving...
What is: The leftovers.
Fans of the beloved turkey, stuffing and mashed potato leftover sandwich: You're in the majority. Most Americans prefer Thanksgiving leftovers to the actual meal. 73% of Americans agree that the second helpings of stuffing, mashed potatoes and of course pie beat out the big dinner itself, according to a 2017 Harris Poll (Take a bite out of some sweet potato pie, these leftover stuffing recipes and easy mashed potatoes recipes!).
This city's Thanksgiving Day Parade traditionally ends with Santa getting the key to the city...
What is: Detroit
The Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an annual tradition since 1924, the same year the Macy's Day Parade began in New York City. According to the Detroit Historical Society, the two-mile parade, which was started by Hudson's department store, takes place on Woodward Avenue and ends with Santa Claus stepping off the final float in front of Hudson's to accept the key "to both the city and the hearts of good children everywhere.”
On Average Americans as a whole prepare this many Turkeys for Thanksgiving...
What is: 46 million
Thanksgiving without turkey would be like Christmas without a tree, and most American families wouldn't dream of foregoing the almighty bird. While not super popular the rest of the year, turkey is a huge hit for holidays, probably because it can serve large gatherings. On Christmas, an additional 22 million families host an encore with their Thanksgiving turkey recipes.
This popular meal was inspired by a Thanksgiving Turkey mix-up...
What is: Frozen TV dinners
In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered a colossal shipment of Thanksgiving turkeys (260 tons, to be exact). To deal with the excess, salesman Gerry Thomas took inspiration from the prepared foods served on airplanes. He came up with the idea of filling 5,000 aluminum trays with the turkey – along with cornbread dressing, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes to complete the offering. The 98-cent meals were a hit, especially with kids and increasingly busy households. Within a single year, over 10 million were sold and a whole industry was born.