Thanksgiving break is a time to kick back, recharge, spend time with your loved ones and take a break from the books before finals kick in. That in itself is a lot to be thankful for! Here are 5 1/2 fun facts about Thanksgiving.
1) Thanksgiving became a holiday in 1863
Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863. The push came after Sarah Joseph Hale the author of “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, convinced Lincoln to make it a national holiday after writing letters to the president for 17 years.
2) Let’s talk turkey
While there is no record that shows turkey was consumed on the first Thanksgiving, Americans consume roughly 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving. That’s a lot of turkeys!
3) A lot of calories are consumed
The average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving is 4,500. Think about that the next time you go for a second or third helping.
4) The roads are busy during Thanksgiving
According to AAAnewsroom.com, about 54 million Americans travel during the Thanksgiving holiday. That makes it one of the busiest holidays on the calendar.
5) Football and Thanksgiving
The tradition of football on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with a game between Yale and Princeton. The first professional football game was played in 1920.
5 1/2) Enjoy your break!
