Nevada Moms
5 Fun Facts About Thanksgiving You Never Knew
Posted by Lindsay Mannering
It's
almost time to pack up the family truckster and drive a few hours to go
see some family members and eat some turkey then take a nap, then eat
some pie, then call it a day and drive back home. While you're in the
car, instead of singing along to annoying kids tunes and/or yelling
couched obscenities at people who've cut you off, why not impress your
family with some fun facts about Thanksgiving?
Everyone knows that the pilgrims came over on the Mayflower and
yada yada yada Indians, disease, harvest, lessons, feast. But what else
do you know? Read up, then take your show on the road.
Nowadays, our Thanksgivings are full of pumpkin pies and mashed potatoes, but it's believed that the original feast in 1621 had
a menu of lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts,
hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup, honey, radishes,
cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese. Phew! That's a mouthful. And
hey, anyone else vote to re-include lobster into our meals?
It's not all fun and games and triptofan on the fourth Thursday in
November -- American Indians of New England gather in Plymouth,
Massachusettes to commemorate a National Day of Mourning while
many of us celebrate. Their objective is to raise awareness about the
"democide and continued suffering of the Native American peoples."
Ever wonder why Black Friday is
called Black Friday? Nope, not because your nose gets frostbit standing
in line at 3 a.m. in freezing temperatures to get 25 percent off at
Sport Authority. And no, it has nothing to do with how dark your heart
feels after dropping a thousand bucks on a T.V. you didn't need just
because it was half off. It's actually called Black Friday because it's hoped that the busy shopping day will bring stores out of the red, and into the black.
Think we're so special for getting
two days off from work and school to feast with family and friends?
Think again. The native Hawaiians celebrated Makahiki, the world's longest Thanksgiving, that spanned from November to February. During that time, work was forbidden.
And finally, an average adult American consumes about 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving,
alone. It's been estimated that the Thanksgiving meal itself is around
3,000, then you gotta tack on an extra 1,500 for booze, appetizers, and,
of course, snacking. In case you were wondering, in order to burn off
about 3,500 calories, a 160-pound person must walk 30 miles. Oof.
Happy Turkey Day!
What's your favorite Thanksgiving fun fact that not everyone knows?
Replies
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I don't know any...lol -
I didn't know any of those facts, but I would love to replace turkey with lobster.