By David Tepera, November 26, 2024

There are many details about the origins of Thanksgiving that experts constantly debate. So, I do have some basic interesting information that are true facts to share with you.
First of all, the original celebration of Thanksgiving was during the mid- October. President Lincoln decided to set the date to coincide with the Pilgrims when they landed on Plymouth Rock, which was near the end of November.
Did you know that pumpkin pie is not the most favorite desert for Thanksgiving. Actually, apple pie is number one, but pumpkin is 2nd. For me, any fruit pie is delicious, like apple, cherry or peach. We host Thanksgiving, so if there is any leftover pie, I’m known to crush it on the following day.
Female turkeys do not make gobble sounds, only males do for mating purposes. Females will purr and create cackling noises. So, if you hear the gobble-gobble, get out of the way.
The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876, which was a game between Yale and Princeton. The first NFL game on Thanksgiving was in 1920. There were six teams who played that day.
Did you know, Ben Franklin wanted the turkey to be our National bird? Of course, we know the rest of the story because eagles mate with one partner for life.
In 1924, the first Macy’s Thanksgiving parade actually had animals from the Central Park Zoo. This included monkeys, bears, camels, and elephants. Of course, this was before the balloon animals.
As far as balloon floats, snoopy has made the most appearances debuting in 1968, and has been involved every year since.
Most people don’t know, “Jingle Bells” was the original Thanksgiving song , but changed in 1859 from Christmas popularity.
Lastly, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same and come from different families. Yes, most grocery stores will label them both as the same. While both yams and sweet potatoes are root vegetables, the taste is entirely unique.
Sweet potato come in a variety of orange, purple or even white flesh. The most common color is orange with smooth rosy brown skin. It’s flavor is much sweeter than yams, so this is what you’ll want for sweet dishes.
Yams are more white and dark spotted skins and the taste is more earthly, neutral and not sweet.
Well, I do wish everyone a festive and happy Thanksgiving holiday. Tina and I will be hosting family and friends, so remember to give plenty of hugs and “I love you”.