Facts about Thanksgiving Day for kids

Celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day is known as one of the year's biggest holidays for American. Well, on this day, families over the country gather to feast on turkey, watch football and gear up for Christmas. Check out here for more great facts and information about Thanksgiving like Thanksgiving history, the traditions, Thanksgiving foods, and so on.

• The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621 and included 50 Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag Indians and lasted three days. Many historians believe that only five women were present at that first Thanksgiving, as many women settlers didn't survive that difficult first year in the U.S.
• Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday until over 200 years later! Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who actually wrote the classic song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” convinced President Lincoln in 1863 to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, after writing letters for 17 years campaigning for this to happen.
• No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving: Historians say that no turkey was served at the first Thanksgiving! What was on the menu? Deer or venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobster, eel and fish. They probably ate pumpkins, but no pumpkin pies. They also didn't eat mashed potatoes or cranberry relish, but they probably ate cranberries. And no, Turduckens (a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken) were nowhere to be found during that first Thanksgiving.eating utensils
• No forks at the first Thanksgiving! The first Thanksgiving was eaten with spoons and knives — but no forks! That's right, forks weren't even introduced to the Pilgrims until 10 years later and weren't a popular utensil until the 18th century.
• Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners! In 1953, Swanson had so much extra turkey (260 tons) that a salesman told them they should package it onto aluminum trays with other sides like sweet potatoes — and the first TV dinner was born!
• Thanksgiving was almost a fast — not a feast! The early settlers gave thanks by praying and abstaining from food, which is what they planned on doing to celebrate their first harvest, that is, until the Wampanoag Indians joined them and (lucky for us!) turned their fast into a three-day feast!
• Presidential pardon of a turkey: Each year, the president of the U.S pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The first turkey pardon ceremony started with President Truman in 1947. President Obama pardoned a 45-pound turkey named Courage, who has flown to Disneyland and served as Grand Marshal of the park's Thanksgiving Day parade!
• Why is Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November? President Abe Lincoln said Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in November, but in 1939 President Roosevelt moved it up a week hoping it would help the shopping season during the Depression era. It never caught on and it was changed back two years later.
• The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924 with 400 employees marching from Convent Ave to 145th street in New York City. No large balloons were at this parade, as it featured only live animals from Central Park Zoo.
• Turkey isn't responsible for drowsiness or the dreaded "food coma." So what isolated footballis? Scientists say that extra glass of wine, the high-calorie meal or relaxing after a busy work schedule is what makes you drowsy!
• How did the tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving start? The NFL started the Thanksgiving Classic games in 1920 and since then the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted games on Turkey Day. In 2006, a third game was added with different teams hosting.

Source: allparenting.com
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Top 15 great facts about Squirrels to know

There are a total of about 200 species of squirrels all over the world. Squirrels can live almost everywhere, so it's not surprising at all if you find squirrels living near you no matter whether you live in the country or in a downtown apartment. Well, if you love this animal and want to know more about them, let's take a look at some of the most interesting squirrels facts right below here.

1. Squirrels can jump a distance of up to 20 feet. They have long, muscular hind legs and short front legs that work together to aid in leaping.
2. The largest squirrel is the Indian giant squirrel, which grows 3 feet long, while the smallest squirrel is the African pygmy squirrel, which's only 5 inches long, including its tail. 
3. Squirrels’ sharp teeth never stop growing.
4. Flying squirrels have a flap of skin between their front and back legs. This skin helps them glide in the air between tree branches.
5. Squirrels have litters of three to nine babies. The babies are blind. They stay in a burrow or nest until they are three months old.
6. The hind legs of squirrels are double-jointed. This helps them run up and down trees quickly.
7. A male squirrel can smell a female in heat up to a mile away. Mating season is February through May with a 44-day gestation period. Typically 2-4 young are born per liter.
8. Squirrels have 5 toes on their back feet and 4 toes on their front. Their front toes are very sharp and help in gripping tree bark for climbing.
9. In addition to residing in the Eastern US, Eastern Gray Squirrels can be found in many Western states, Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa.
10. Squirrels in general are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
11. Squirrels can eat their own body weight (approximately 1.5 pounds) every week.
12. Squirrels can fall up to 100 feet without hurting themselves. They'll use their tail both for balance and as a parachute.
13. The hibernating artic ground squirrel is the only warm-blooded mammal able to withstand body temperatures below freezing.
14. Squirrels eyes are positioned in such a way that they can see some things behind them.
15. The word "squirrel" means "shadow tail" in Greek.

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