8 Surprising Facts About Thanksgiving -

We all know Thanksgiving is full of great food, family, and parades, but do you know where and why it all began? Learn about these 8 surprising and fun facts about the Thanksgiving holiday!

1 // THE FIRST THANKSGIVING MAY HAVE HAPPENED IN FLORIDA

In grade school you learn that the first Thanksgiving happened in Plymouth, Massachusetts. However, historians argue that Florida may have been the true site of the first Thanksgiving. A Spanish fleet came to what is now St. Augustine in 1565. To celebrate their accomplishments, 800 Spanish settlers shared a meal with the natives of the land.

3 // THE AMOUNT OF TURKEYS BEING COOKED IS SHOCKING

About 46 million turkeys are cooked for Thanksgiving each year in the U.S. Christmas is a close second with over 22 million turkeys being enjoyed for the holiday.

4 // PUMPKIN PIE HAS BEEN A STAPLE SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY

As far back as the 18th century, pumpkin pie has been a Thanksgiving tradition. So much so, that according to legend, the Connecticut town of Colchester postponed Thanksgiving for a week in 1705 due to a molasses shortage.

5 // FOOTBALL HAS BEEN A THANKSGIVING TRADITION SINCE 1876

The first Thanksgiving football game was a college square up between Yale and Princeton in 1876. When Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday 13 years later, football teams chose the holiday for college football championships and high school rivalries.

6 // THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE BEGAN IN 1924

The Macy’s Parade was originally to celebrate the expansion of the Herald Square superstore. Two weeks before Thanksgiving in 1924, Macy’s announced its very first Big Christmas Parade the would feature magnificent floats, bands, an animal circus, and more. However, the famous high flying giant balloons weren’t featured until 1927.

7 // SARAH HALE IS THE MOTHER OF THANKSGIVING

Sarah Hale, an abolitionist and the author of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” convinced President Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving as a national holiday!

8 // JINGLE BELLS WAS ORIGINALLY A THANKSGIVING SONG

Written by James Pierpont in 1857, the popular Christmas carol was originally written for children celebrating Thanksgiving at his Boston Sunday school. The song gained popularity and was repeated again at Christmas and ultimately became a Christmas carol.