 "Pinterest")
Welcome to our new daily series of true and interesting facts that you probably don’t need to know, but should know!
Impress your friends, coworkers and family members with your absolute genius mind! These true and interesting facts can really get a conversation going! Get ready to see mind’s being blown, because we are about to drop some serious useless fact knowledge on you!
Here are some interesting (and unexpected!) facts about Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is a time for turkey, pie, and family gatherings, but there’s a lot more to the holiday than meets the eye. These might surprise you:
1. The first Thanksgiving didn’t have turkey
While turkey is the star of today’s feast, the pilgrims and Native Americans likely dined on venison, seafood, and fowl like ducks and geese. Turkey was simply not the main dish!
2. Thanksgiving wasn’t an official holiday until 1863
It was President Abraham Lincoln who made Thanksgiving a national holiday, urging people to celebrate the “great and general gratitude.” Before that, it was celebrated sporadically in different states.
3. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade started with animals
The first Macy’s Parade in 1924 didn’t feature balloons; instead, it had live animals from the Central Park Zoo! The parade was a giant procession, complete with clowns, floats, and a parade of zoo animals.
4. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be America’s national bird
Ben Franklin thought the turkey was a more “respectable” bird than the eagle. He proposed it as the symbol of the United States, but the bald eagle won out.
5. Black Friday shopping may have started on Thanksgiving
Retailers didn’t wait until Friday to launch their sales. In fact, some stores have opened on Thanksgiving Day itself for years, offering early-bird shoppers a head start on deals.
