Thanksgiving is almost here, and like everyone else, the Food Adventures Crew is getting ready for one of our favorite feasts of the year. Today, we feature some fun Dayton Thanksgiving Trivia. Share some of these at the table this holiday with family and friends.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL YOU FOODIES OUT THERE !

THANKSGIVING TRIVIA:

—Thanksgiving is always the 4th Thursday in November.

—People eat more on average on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year.

— The average person consumes 4500 calories on Thanksgiving

—Stuffing is what you put inside the bird, and dressing it what you serve and cook outside the bird.

— 54 Million people or 16% of the nation will be traveling this Thanksgiving.

HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING:

—The first Indian Tribe to celebrate with the pilgrims were the Wampanoag Tribe. This first Thanksgiving lasted 3 days and took place in 1621. They didn’t eat turkey, but had duck, deer and pigeon.

—Pilgrims did not wear buckled hats.

— At the first Thanksgiving they had spoons and knives, but forks weren’t invented until 10 years later !

—Thomas Jefferson thought Thanksgiving was a ridiculous idea for a holiday.

— In 1813 Ohio first set the 5th of May for a day of Thanksgiving. In Ohio in early times Thanksgiving was not always observed by the people, and not in November.

—Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a National Holiday in 1863

—Football was played on Thanksgiving starting with Yale and Princeton in 1876.

— In 1924 The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began with 400 employees marching in New York City. No large balloons, only live animals from Central Park Zoo.

— Both Harry S.Truman, and John F. Kennedy are credited as the first Presidents to “pardon” a Thanksgiving turkey, depending on which source you believe.

TURKEY TRIVIA !

Deep Fried Turkey

—The age of the turkey that you are eating is usually between 14-20 weeks old.

— Turkeys can run 20 miles per hour when scared.

— The average turkey weights 15 pounds.

—The largest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds and was the size of a large dog.

— Benjamin Franklin wanted the Turkey and not the Eagle to be the national symbol of the USA.

—Local farm Bowman and Landes in New Carlisle raise over 80,000 free range turkeys each year and has been in business since 1948.

—In 1882 a wild turkey in Dayton cost $3 at the market, and the poorest Daytonians ate rabbit on Thanksgiving. Other Dayton favorites purchased for Thanksgiving in 1882 were quarts of Kentucky bourbon for 60 cents, and mince meat pies made with 3 pounds of meat costing a quarter.

—Turkey can be substituted for Chicken in almost any recipe.

— On the West Coast of the USA, Dungeoness Crab is used instead of turkey

—Minnesota raises the most Turkeys in the U.S.

—Approximately 280 million turkeys are eaten every Thanksgiving.

— TV dinners were invented because of Thanksgiving in 1953. Swanson had 260 tons of extra turkey after the holiday and a salesman suggested they should package it onto aluminum trays with other sides, and the first TV dinner was born!

—Turkeys have been known to drop dead at the sound of passing airplanes.

— After walking on the moon, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s first meal was roasted turkey from foil packets.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from the Food Adventure’s Crew. Jackie, Jessie and the Big Ragu are thankful for our social media followers, the people who attend our food events, charity relations, cooking classes, and festivals. We hope you are surrounded by loved ones, family and friends this holiday season. We hope it is an unforgettable Food Adventure.