Thanksgiving Preparations

The turkey (22lbs!! - never let the man go do the turkey shopping or you end up with a monster turkey like this) is being brined; the cleaning lady has done an excellent job; recipes have been browsed (thanks Pioneer Woman); the good plates have been counted (thank goodness I found the one nice set that has 12 plates, i.e. enough for everyone to have a matching place setting (I was already stressing over this as eating from mismatched plates on Thanksgiving would be a terrible no-no in my house, and even though I said that this should not matter, I cannot make myself not care)); the humongous turkey roasting pan has been brought out from the attic;  the pumpkin pie and the sweetbreads have been baked; the guests have been invited; and the spirit is very ready for this wonderful Holiday after all that we have been through of late.

Did I mention that Thanksgiving is my favorite?

It is the favorite of many other people too. Probably one of the most liked Holidays of the year. No religious pressures, no gifts required, and no crazy decorations needed...just get together with family and friends, and eat and drink and think about all the good things that you can be thankful of.

A business acquaintance sent me these Thanksgiving facts, which I can now share with you:

ThanksgivingFacts throughout History

·  Benjamin Franklin wanted theturkey to be the national bird of the United States.

·  Sarah Josepha Hale, an Americanmagazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a nationalholiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had aLittle Lamb"

·  Abraham Lincoln issued a'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside thelast Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.

·  The annual Macy's ThanksgivingDay Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

·  In 1939, President Rooseveltproclaimed that Thanksgiving would take place on November 23rd, not November30th, as a way to spur economic growth and extend the Christmas shopping season.

·  Congress to passed a law onDecember 26, 1941, ensuring that all Americans would celebrate a unifiedThanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

·  Since 1947, the National TurkeyFederation has presented a live turkey and two dressed turkeys to thePresident. The President does not eat the live turkey. He "pardons"it and allows it to live out its days on a historical farm.

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FunFacts about Thanksgiving Today

·  In the US, about 280 millionturkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.

·  Each year, the average Americaneats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.

·  Californians are the largestconsumers of turkey in the United States.

·  Thanksgiving Day is celebratedon the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.

·  Although, Thanksgiving iswidely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the secondMonday in October in Canada.

·  Black Friday is the Fridayafter Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of thetraditional Christmas shopping season.

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FunTurkey Facts

·  The average weight of a turkeypurchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.

·  The heaviest turkey ever raisedwas 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

·  A 15 pound turkey usually hasabout 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.

·  The five most popular ways toserve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles andas a burger.

·  Turkey has more protein thanchicken or beef.

·  Turkeys will have 3,500feathers at maturity.

·  Male turkeys gobble. Hens donot. They make a clucking noise.

·  Commercially raised turkeyscannot fly.

·  Turkeys have heart attacks. TheUnited States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier.Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.

·  A large group of turkeys iscalled a flock.

·  Turkeys have poor night vision.

·  It takes 75-80 pounds of feedto raise a 30 pound tom turkey.

·  A 16-week-old turkey is calleda fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster.