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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Interesting random Easter holiday facts and history

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Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion by Romans at Calvary circa 30 AD. It is the culmination of the Passion of Christ, preceded by Lent (or Great Lent), a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. Let's check out our list of interesting random Easter facts to know more about Easter holidays, celebration, Easter story, history, traditions, cadbury, chocolate easter eggs, and where did Easter come from.

#1

The vast majority of ecclesiastical and secular historians agree that the name of Easter and the traditions surrounding it are deeply rooted in pagan religion.

#2

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ in the Christian religion.

#3

Easter takes place on a Sunday, after the 40-day period called Lent. Lent is referred to as a time of fasting, but participants focus more on giving up one significant indulgence.

#4

Americans spend $1.9 billion on Easter candy. That’s the second biggest candy holiday after Halloween.

#5

70% of Easter candy purchased is chocolate.

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#6

76% of Americans think the ears of a chocolate bunny should be the first to be eaten.

#7

Egg dyes were once made out of natural items such as onion peels, tree bark, flower petals, and juices.

#8

There’s much debate about the practice of dyeing chicks. Many hatcheries no longer participate, but others say that it isn’t dangerous to the chick’s health because the dye only lasts until the chicks shed their fluff and grow their feathers.

#9

The first story of a rabbit (later named the “Easter Bunny”) hiding eggs in a garden was published in 1680.

#10

Eggs have been seen as ancient symbol of fertility, while springtime is considered to bring new life and rebirth.
On Easter morning, children tend to race to see whether the Easter Bunny left them an Easter basket. For most celebrations involving gifts, the gifts are wrapped in boxes and with wrapping paper. The Easter basket is left open because the basket is supposed to symbolize a bird’s nest, where eggs are kept safe.

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