KHOST, AFGHANISTAN - NOVEMBER 27: US military personnel enjoy a special meal in celebration of America's annual Thanksgiving Day tradition in the dining hall at the US military forward operating base (FOB) Camp Salerno near Khost on November 27, 2008 in the south eastern province of Khowst, Afghanistan. Today in Kabul a car bomb amongst rush hour traffic near the US Embassy killed 4 people and injured 17. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
KHOST, AFGHANISTAN - NOVEMBER 27: US military personnel enjoy a special meal in celebration of America's annual Thanksgiving Day tradition in the dining hall at the US military forward operating base (FOB) Camp Salerno near Khost on November 27, 2008 in the south eastern province of Khowst, Afghanistan. Today in Kabul a car bomb amongst rush hour traffic near the US Embassy killed 4 people and injured 17. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
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Let the shopping frenzy begin. Thanksgiving Day. What are you thankful for this year? Was it the year you thought it would be?

Did fun or interesting things happen to you? Or, would you just as soon kiss this year goodbye, as it was not one of your best. Either way, here are a couple of tidbits about Thanksgiving you might have missed.

Thanksgiving – Fun Facts

  • Thanksgiving started with the Mayflower? Not so fast Pilgrim. Thanksgiving was not declared a national holiday until 1941. It’s celebrated on the fourth Thursday of each year in November.
  • When the US Air Force began conducting test runs trying to break the sound barrier entire fields of turkeys would drop dead. Cause of death — heart attacks.
  • So no one will be left out this year consider preparing a “Turkucken.” This would be a de-boned turkey, stuffed with a de-boned duck, stuffed with a de-boned chicken. Fill each or all with dressing.
  • Dinosaurs had nothing on turkeys. They’ve been around for at least 10 million years.
  • If you are serving turkey on Thanksgiving count yourself in the 91 percent of Americans that will be joining you.
  • Dressing in the south use cornbread other parts of the nation use white bread. Other ingredients might be oysters, apples, chestnuts, raisins, celery, sausage or the turkey giblets. Fifty percent of Americans put stuffing in their turkeys.
  • When Thanksgiving was suggested to Thomas Jefferson his reply was, “That’s the more ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.”
  • Even presidents realize the value of Thanksgiving to the economy. In 1939, 1940, and 1941 Franklin Roosevelt made Thanksgiving the third Thursday in November to lengthen the holiday shopping season. The populous thought this made it too commercial. Much like today.
  • Lincoln was the first president to proclaim Thanksgiving Day but it didn’t become a legal federal holiday till 1941.
  • Ben Franklin thought the nation bird should be the turkey because it has so many valuable uses to society.
  • What would Thanksgiving be without a “green bean casserole?” More than 40 million will be served.

Some Final Thoughts

Many people think we should be thankful for the many blessings we have every day of the year. But not every day is a good day. So we set aside one day each year to appreciate the best days of the past year and reflect on them.

I hope there are many things for you to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at TownSquare Media in Bozeman.

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