Feast on These Top 27 Entertaining and Unusual Thanksgiving Fun Facts!

1. Lincoln, Vampires, and Thanksgiving

Before Honest Abe went hunting for vampires, he was busy carving out a piece of American tradition: President Abraham Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, after relentless persuasion by editor Sarah Josepha Hale who petitioned Congress and various presidents to establish an annual Thanksgiving celebration.
Source => federaltimes.com

2. Vintage College Football on Turkey Day

Before helmets and pads became the ultimate football fashion statement, college teams like Princeton strutted their stuff in simple black-and-orange jerseys, scoring goals against Yale on Turkey Day: In 1876, the first Thanksgiving college football game was played in Hoboken, New Jersey, featuring a 15-player Princeton team donning black jerseys with an orange "P" and black tights against Yale, in a rugby-style match at St. George's Cricket Grounds, witnessed by around 1,000 fans; Yale emerged victorious, scoring 2-0 by kicking the ball through the crossbars.
Source => njmonthly.com

Did you know the average Thanksgiving turkey weighs 15 pounds and is America's fourth favorite protein? Discover more fascinating facts!

=> Fun Facts about Thanksgiving-For-Kids

3. TV Dinner: Thanksgiving Edition

Binge-watching's grandpa enters the dining room: The TV dinner was born in 1953 after Swanson found themselves with a surplus of 260 tons of frozen turkeys from a Thanksgiving misjudgment. Gerry Thomas, a Swanson salesman, had the ingenious idea to package the leftovers in compartmentalized aluminum trays, inspired by airline food trays, which led to the birth of the iconic convenience meal.
Source => blog.aghires.com

4. Turkey Talk: Emoji Style

Gobble up this fun fact, folks: turkeys can talk! We don't mean like Professor McGonagall's transfiguration chit-chat; they have their own real-life, feathery lingo: Turkeys communicate with a symphony of clucks, yelps, putts, cuts, cackles, gobbles, and more, each with their own unique message – basically, the bird version of emojis, only way before smartphones! Serious reveal: These distinctive turkey sounds, used by gobblers, Toms, hens, Jakes, and Jennys, are vital for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, and can be heard both day and night, even while roosting in trees.
Source => targetcrazy.com

5. Franklin's Turkey Allegiance

While Ben Franklin may have gobbled up the idea of a turkey being the star-spangled mascot, he didn't quite go as far as to nominate the plucky poultry for national bird status: However, he did pen a letter to his daughter where he critiqued the eagle on the Great Seal and deemed the turkey to be a "more respectable bird" native to America, epitomizing courage.
Source => fi.edu

6. Thanksgiving Feast, Light Edition

Gobble 'til you wobble, or so they say: Americans feast to their heart's content on Thanksgiving, devouring a staggering 3,000 to 4,500 calories per person, according to the Calorie Control Council. But fear not, mashter chefs, Consumer Reports' test kitchen has concocted a less gut-busting solution: by tweaking recipes and watching portions, one can enjoy a delectable, under-2,000-calorie Thanksgiving spread featuring all your holiday favorites, from the prized turkey to the sumptuous pumpkin pie!
Source => consumerreports.org

7. Turkey's Country Connection

Talk about a wild turkey chase: Turkey isn't just your go-to protein for Thanksgiving dinner! In fact, the name "Turkey" comes from the Medieval Latin word "Türk", first appearing in inscriptions as far back as the 8th century. This moniker evolved from references to the Ottoman Empire, and was officially cemented as Türkiye Cumhuriyeti upon the republic's declaration in 1923. In a show of national pride, Türkiye even requested and scored a renaming from the United Nations in 2022, making sure the name wouldn't be gobbled up.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Turkey Pardon Evolution

When turkeys wish for pardon, they don't just wing it: Abraham Lincoln was the first president to spare a turkey's life, but the Christmas turkey was saved to be his son's pet and the Thanksgiving turkey-pardoning tradition was only formalized by George H.W. Bush in 1989. Surprisingly, pardoned turkeys didn't always retire to farms but sometimes found themselves gifted to petting zoos or even sent back to whence they came – gobble gobble indeed!
Source => pbs.org

9. Butterball Comfort Calendars

Gobble up some wisdom with a side of chuckles: Butterball is dishing out free Turkey Talk-Line Comfort Calendars, loaded with 24 days of turkey-troubleshooting, festive foresight, and soothing self-care to take the 'scary' out of your holiday culinary escapades. Grab a slice of that plum deal on Instagram, and remember, a hotline hero is just a call or text away (800-288-8372 or 844-877-3456) from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 to make your Thanksgiving a buttery success!
Source => pennlive.com

10. Thanksgiving Seafood Smorgasbord

Forget about bird-brained menus, it's time to shell-abrate the seafood smorgasbord: The main course at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 wasn't the beloved turkey, but rather an assortment of wild game such as venison and waterfowl, and even maritime delights like lobster, oysters, and clams.
Source => nationaldaycalendar.com

11. The Real Thanksgiving Founding Father

If you think Old Honest Abe was the turkey-day founding father, slicing through cranberry sauce-covered red tape with his Emancipation Proclamation, think again: The truth is that while Lincoln indeed declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, editor Sarah Josepha Hale campaigned for a whopping 36 years to make it happen, and let's not forget the 1541 shindig thrown by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the Teya Indians.
Source => nps.gov

12. Thanksgiving's Civil War Origins

Before Abe Lincoln decided to "gobble gobble" up some holiday unity during a nation divided, and long before we started loosening our belt buckles in preparation for an annual feast: Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday by President Lincoln in 1863, amidst the Civil War, and only established as a federal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November in 1941.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

13. Sleepy Snack Culprits

Next time you're feeling stuffed and sleepy after your Thanksgiving feast, you might want to point a finger at those sneaky spuds and covert corn rather than turkey's tryptophan for turning you into a snoozy couch potato: The true culprits causing post-Thanksgiving drowsiness are the carbohydrates found in potatoes, peas, corn, sugary drinks, and desserts which contribute to that all-too-familiar sleepy sensation.
Source => sleepfoundation.org

14. Benjamin Franklin's Turkey Pitch

Gobble gobble, who's got the keys to the national symbol-mobile? While it might seem absurd now, old Ben Franklin really wanted to hand them over to the wild turkey: Turns out, he once proposed that this bird that loves to chow down on acorns and roost in tall trees should be the emblematic creature of the United States, but alas, the bald eagle swooped in and stole the show.
Source => audubon.org

15. Cranberry Day: Wampanoag Style

In a fruitful twist of cultural celebration: The Wampanoag Native Americans deeply revered cranberries, celebrating them with their own holiday, Cranberry Day! Held on the second Tuesday in October, it's still an official Tribal holiday today, where Wampanoag children participate in cranberry harvests, enjoy community lunches, and listen to stories from elders. Cranberries were vital for the Wampanoag's survival, stored and consumed throughout the winter, and even taken by fishermen as a source of Vitamin C to stave off illness; thus, paving the way for their eventual "berry" special role at Thanksgiving feasts!
Source => manyhoops.com

16. Franksgiving Fiasco

Before "Manic Monday" hit the retail world, there was "Franksgiving Fiasco": In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week, hoping to boost Depression-era sales, only to be met with resistance and uproar, culminating in Congress fixing the holiday to the fourth Thursday in November through a joint resolution signed into law in 1941.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

17. Venison: Star of First Thanksgiving

Who needs turkey when you've got deer on the dinner table?: The "First Thanksgiving" actually featured venison, geese, and duck as the main dishes, with turkey only making its grand entrance later thanks to writer Sarah Hale's promotional push, the bird's native North American status, and its association with traditional harvest feasts in New England that spread across the country.
Source => cnbc.com

18. Pilgrims: Colorful Trendsetters

Feeling down? Here's a smile-inducing splash of color for your imagination: buckle up and join me in strolling down the catwalk of history to discover that the first Thanksgiving pilgrims were actually the original trendsetters, donning bright, colorful attire instead of the drab black outfits commonly associated with them. Quite the fashionistas, weren't they? On to the serious stuff: their vibrant wardrobe wasn't reserved for festive occasions but was actually their everyday wear, with black and gray ensembles saved for Sundays. And those iconic silver buckles you're picturing? They were nothing more than a luxurious, expensive myth!
Source => info.whipmix.com

19. Tasty Venison, Not Tofurky

In a land before Tofurky, where Thanksgiving tables were graced by more than just the gobble of everyone's favorite feathered friend: turkey was quite possibly present at the first Thanksgiving feast, but venison – offered generously by the Wampanoag guests – stole the show as the true pièce de résistance.
Source => npr.org

20. First Thanksgiving Day Parade

Before Macy's decided to strut its stuff down the streets of New York, another department store stole a Thanksgiving march on them: Gimbels Department Store in Philadelphia initiated the first Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1920, a whole four years prior to Macy's! Just like its New York counterpart, this festive fiasco featured floats, marching bands, and Santa Claus himself. Though Gimbels' parade had its last hurrah in 1961, it set the stage for Macy's to take the limelight as America's most treasured Thanksgiving parade.
Source => guides.loc.gov

21. Blooming Balloon Skills

It's raining cats and helium-filled wonders: Tony Sarg, a Guatemalan immigrant, birthed the illustrious balloons that dominate the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1927. Starting with oxygen-filled Goodyear rubber, he switched to helium the next year, giving life to Felix the Cat and other fanciful inflatable characters. Sarg's creative genius also extended to shadow-puppet films, toys, and marionette shows before he took a bow in 1942.
Source => hyperallergic.com

22. Frobisher's Canadian Thanksgiving

Long before the Pilgrims sailed the Mayflower to Plymouth, Martin Frobisher was throwing the original Thanksgiving rager with a scrumptious feast of... salted beef and mushy peas? You betcha: The first Canadian Thanksgiving took place in 1578, a whole 43 years before Plymouth Plantation, where English explorer Martin Frobisher held a modest shindig to give thanks for his safe arrival in the New World.
Source => westernunion.com

23. Cow Head Lobster Festival

As the crustacean potluck of maritime bashes comes out of its shell: Cow Head Lobster Festival in Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada commences the summer tourism season every year since 1980. Taking place in Gros Morne National Park, the festival features a grand buffet of lobster dishes at different venues, all with a side of music and festive activities for the wanderlust-filled travelers.
Source => foodreference.com

24. Pumpkin Pie's Humble Origins

Move aside, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, here's the real deal about our beloved pumpkin pies: The first Thanksgiving didn't include pumpkin pie as dessert, mainly because the Pilgrims didn’t have the proper ingredients or ovens to bake pies but pumpkin, a native gourd, was possibly part of the meal in roasted or stewed form.
Source => mentalfloss.com

25. Schulz and King: Equality Crusaders

Before Billie Jean King took a swing at gender inequality, she served up inspiration to none other than the lovable Peanuts gang: Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the comic strip, was deeply influenced by his friendship with the tennis icon, which led to Peppermint Patty becoming an advocate for gender equality in sports, and Schulz championing the cause even through his comic strip.
Source => mylifetime.com

26. Mega Pumpkin Pie Smackdown

When pumpkin spice latte met its gigantic pie cousin, it was love at first sight: In Changsha, China, a colossal pumpkin pie, weighing over 1,800 pounds and spanning over 13 feet in diameter, was made with the combined efforts of 40 chefs, two hydraulic excavators, and a steamy, eight-burner pan filled with pumpkin, flour, powdered sugar, dates, and raisins, yet it couldn’t beat the record-breaking 3,699-pound, 20-foot-diameter pie made in Ohio during the 2010 New Bremen Pumpkinfest.
Source => foodnetwork.com

27. Wisconsinite Cranberry Royalty

Water you thinking? Cranberries don't grow in H2O, they've got their own modus operandi: Wisconsin dominates cranberry production with 250 growers and 21,000 acres of sandy bogs and marshes, where the berries are harvested from floating water-filled surfaces, thanks to their low-running vines.
Source => wiscran.org