12 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

We collected 12 fun facts about Thanksgiving, from the first turkey pardon to the invention of TV dinners and the dinner saving Butterball Turkey Hotline.

Growing up my favorite holiday was Thanksgiving. It marked the start of the holiday season, filled with anticipation for Christmas and more family gatherings. Even with the inevitable food comas or dinner table debates, I loved it all.

When I spent my first Thanksgiving abroad while visiting South Korea, missing out on Thanksgiving dinner was just about the only thing that made me homesick. Now that I live and travel abroad most of the time, I make sure to always get my sweet potatoes and stuffing wherever I might be.

Let me share with you a few Thanksgiving facts that make up my Thanksgiving love story.

1.) Thanksgiving Was Originally a Day of Fasting, Not Feasting

Thanksgiving began as a religious observance by Pilgrims. For the Pilgrims, days of thanksgiving were reserved for fasting and prayer, not feasting. These thanksgiving days were spontaneous religious observances after special events like successful harvests, military victories or the end of droughts.

How Thanksgiving Became the Holiday We Know Today:

• In 1846 (225 years after the first Thanksgiving) Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor best known for authoring “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began her campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She spent 17 years writing letters to US presidents, governors and other political figures advocating for the holiday to help promote unity across the country.
• President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, connecting it with the annual harvest. He hoped as an official holiday it would bring together a nation divided by the Civil War.
• The story of the 1621 Pilgrim and Native American feast became popularized as part of this narrative, but the holiday itself continued to evolve over time.

2.) Turkey Wasn’t on the Dinner Table at the First Thanksgiving

Living abroad I usually have to settle for roasted chicken, unless I want to pay abysmal amounts for a frozen turkey.

While turkey is now the representative dish, historians believe the first celebration likely featured venison, seafood and wildfowl like ducks or geese. Cranberries and pumpkins were present but not in the form of sauce or pie!

Today, Thanksgiving isn’t complete with out a Turkey centerpiece, even it is a bit dry and poorly cooked.

3.) Pumpkin Pie Also Didn’t Start as a Thanksgiving Feast Staple

While pumpkins were indeed a staple crop for Native Americans and early settlers, the original Thanksgiving meal never had any pumpkin pie. Since Pilgrims had limited access to sugar and more advanced pastry techniques, it is unlikely they ever had the pleasure (or displeasure) of feasting on pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin pie did not become a staple of Thanksgiving meals until the 19th century. Its place in American tradition was solidified in the late 1800s after Sarah Josepha Hale promoted its nostalgic value during her campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

Apple Pie vs Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving: Where Do You Stand?

4.) Thanksgiving Day Was Moved by FDR to Boost the Economy

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt shifted Thanksgiving day up a week to extend the holiday shopping season and stimulate the economy. Thanksgiving was originally celebrated on the last Thursday of November, but in 1939 the last Thursday was on November 30th.

Retailers were concerned that the critical shopping season between Thanksgiving and Christmas would be too short. Not everyone was willing to follow along and the decision became a nationwide controversy, leading to the term “Franksgiving.”

• 22 states celebrated the new Thanksgiving.
• 23 states continued with the old date.
• 3 states (Texas, Mississippi and Colorado) celebrated both dates.

After continued debate, Congress passed a resolution in 1941 that set the new date of Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November. It’s good to know the capitalism that is now moving Black Friday earlier every year is just as much a part of Thanksgiving tradition as pumpkin pie.

5.) The First President to Pardon a Turkey Was Jonh F. Kennedy

The first president to pardon a turkey was President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Upon receiving a turkey from the National Turkey Federation, Kennedy said, “Let’s keep him going,” and sent the bird back to the farm rather than to the dinner table. However, it wasn’t a formal “pardon.”

The first official turkey pardon was by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. During a ceremony with a turkey from the National Turkey Federation, Bush said the bird was granted a “presidential pardon,” marking the start of the annual White House tradition tradition where a single turkey is spared. All of the rest, straight to the dinner table.

6.) A Typical Thanksgiving Dinner Packs in 3,480 Calories

A typical Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings can contain 3,480 calories. Let’s not kid ourselves, one plate is never enough and anything under 2,000 calories is too generous an estimate. A Thanksgiving meal can easily add up to 4,000 or more calories consumed.

Good thing Thanksgiving is not about watching our waistlines. Skip the next table if you don’t want to know all of the calories in your favorite Thanksgiving foods.

7.) Over 55 Million Americans Travel for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for families to come together, and it shows in travel statistics. Over 55 million Americans are forecasted to travel for the holiday this year, with the Sunday after Thanksgiving being the busiest day of the Thanksgiving holiday.

What is the busiest day to travel in the US?

According to recent flight data from the TSA, the busiest day to travel in the US is July 7th, with over 3 million passengers going through TSA checkpoints alone. Despite the common perception that Thanksgiving or Christmas are the busiest holidays for travel in the US, it’s actually the three day weekends, Labor Day and Memorial Day.

We looked at the flight day in a 5-day spread around the holidays in 2023 and 2024 to rank each holiday by most travelers. Thanksgiving comes in at 9th with over 11 million airline travelers in 2023.

Most traveled holiday periods in the US:

Data Source: TSA.gov TSA checkpoint numbers

» Keep Reading: 9 Fun Facts About Easter

8.) The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Didn’t Always Have Balloons

When the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, it didn’t feature the balloons floats that make it the attraction it is today. Instead, live animals from the Central Park Zoo were used. The first balloons, including Felix the Cat, didn’t debut until 1927.

9.) The Heaviest Turkey on Record Weighed 86 Pounds

The heaviest turkey ever raised tipped the scales at a massive 86 pounds. That’s about the size of a large dog, and size times larger than the average 14 pound Thanksgiving turkey found on dinner tables across America.

According to the Guinness World Records, the 86 pound stag named Tyson was sold at auction for $6,692 in 1989, or about $17,000 today. Just in case you were wondering, this monstrosity of a turkey was raised in the United Kingdom, not the United States.

10.) Frozen Turkeys Dominate Thanksgiving Dinner Tables

Despite the push for fresh, farm-to-table food, the majority of turkeys sold for Thanksgiving in the U.S. are frozen. These birds are flash-frozen to preserve their quality and are more convenient for most families.

11.) The Butterball Turkey Hotline Receives Over 100,000 Calls

The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line helps over 100,000 people prepare their Thanksgiving turkeys every year. The hotline runs throughout November and December, providing guidance to home chefs across the U.S.

Because it’s never too early to be reminded when you need to start defrosting your Thanksgiving turkey, here’s a quick guide on when to start defrosting a frozen turkey for the 2024 Thanksgiving.

When to Defrost Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Turkey Weight (lbs)	Defrost Start Date
8 lbs	Sunday, November 24, 2024
12 lbs	Saturday, November 23, 2024
16 lbs	Friday, November 22, 2024
20 lbs	Thursday, November 21, 2024
24 lbs	Wednesday, November 20, 2024

12.) Thanksgiving Leftovers Helped Invent the TV Dinner

After Thanksgiving 1953, the Swanson company found themselves with 260 tons of leftover turkey. They used it to create the first frozen TV dinners, launching a new food category that became a staple in American homes.

The exact story behind the invention is riddled with controversy, but what is undeniable is the success of TV dinners to this day. In 1954 Swanson already sold ten million trays of TV Dinners.

Personally, I wish Swanson had instead invented other innovative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers, like Mac & Cheese waffles or Turkey Pot Pies. It would have saved me from a lot of lackluster TV dinners growing up.