Weird Thanksgiving Facts -- 50 Strange Truths

Turkeys can blush. True. When excited, a turkey's head and neck can change from red to blue to white due to blood flow and skin pigments.

The first Thanksgiving was not a meal but a three-day rager with games and gunfire. True. Edward Winslow's account describes three days of festivities, including military exercises and games.

A turkey's gender can be determined by its poop shape. True. Male turkey droppings are J-shaped; female droppings are spiral or loop-shaped.

Jingle Bells was originally written for Thanksgiving. True. James Lord Pierpont wrote it for a Thanksgiving concert in Savannah, Georgia, in 1857.

The Pilgrims did not wear buckled hats. True. The iconic buckle is a 19th-century artistic invention.

Turkeys have over 20 distinct vocalizations. True. They can recognize each other by voice and communicate complex information.

The first TV dinner was created because of a Thanksgiving turkey surplus. True. Swanson had 260 tons of unsold turkey in 1953 and invented the TV dinner.

A turkey's snood determines its attractiveness to hens. True. Longer, more vibrant snoods indicate health and genetic fitness to female turkeys.

Pilgrims ate with spoons and knives -- not forks. True. Forks were rare in 1621 England and unknown at Plymouth Colony.

The Mayflower was a wine cargo ship, not a passenger vessel. True. It had previously transported wine between England and France.

Macy's parade balloons were once released into the sky with return addresses. True. From 1929-1932, balloons were released with tags offering rewards for their return.

The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. Plausible. Including appetizers, alcohol, dinner, and dessert, total daily intake can reach 4,500 calories.

Benjamin Franklin wanted to replace the bald eagle with the turkey as national symbol. Partially true. Franklin praised the turkey but never formally proposed replacing the eagle.

There is a 'turkey bowling' sport using frozen birds. True. Grocery store employees slide frozen turkeys down aisles at soda bottles.

The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line answers over 100,000 calls yearly. True. Since 1981, home economists have guided callers through turkey emergencies.

Black Wednesday is the biggest bar night of the year. True. The night before Thanksgiving rivals New Year's Eve for alcohol sales.

Pardoned presidential turkeys have gone to Disneyland. True. From 2005-2009, pardoned turkeys were sent to Disney parks as 'honorary grand marshals.'

The world record pumpkin pie weighed 3,699 pounds. True. Made in Ohio in 2010, it was 20 feet in diameter.

Turkeys can see ultraviolet light. True. Their vision extends into the UV spectrum, giving them broader color perception than humans.

Thanksgiving was celebrated in space by astronauts. True. NASA provides irradiated turkey and freeze-dried sides for orbital Thanksgiving meals.

The term 'cold turkey' has nothing to do with the holiday. True. It refers to goosebumps during drug withdrawal, resembling cold turkey skin.

Stuffing dates back to ancient Rome. True. The Romans prepared 'forcemeat' dishes similar to modern stuffing centuries before Thanksgiving.

Corn is the only grain that cannot survive in the wild. True. Maize requires human cultivation; its ancestor teosinte looks entirely different.

The Pilgrims brought beer on the Mayflower because water was unsafe. True. Beer and wine were standard ship provisions, considered healthier than water.

A turkey's gobble can be heard a mile away. True. On a clear day, a tom's gobble carries nearly a mile.

Turkeys sleep in trees. True. Wild turkeys roost in trees at night to avoid ground predators.

The first Thanksgiving postage stamp was issued in 1954. True. It featured a turkey and cornucopia for 3 cents.

Plymouth Rock was not mentioned by any Pilgrim. True. No primary source mentions Plymouth Rock; the tradition started in 1741.

Sweet potatoes and yams are completely different plants. True. True yams are African tubers; what Americans call 'yams' are orange sweet potatoes.

The turkey was named after the country due to shipping confusion. True. Guinea fowl imported through Turkey were called 'turkey birds'; American birds got the same name.

Thanksgiving was once celebrated in July. True. Lincoln considered July 4 before settling on November for the national holiday.

The Wampanoag did not wear feathered headdresses. True. Plains-style war bonnets were not worn by Wampanoag people; this is romanticized art.

Turkey eggs are edible but rarely sold. True. Turkey eggs taste like chicken eggs but are larger and not commercially produced.

The Mayflower had a sister ship that leaked. True. The Speedwell was meant to accompany the Mayflower but was abandoned due to leaks.

A 'moist maker' is a Thanksgiving leftover sandwich. True. The term was popularized by TV show 'Friends' for a gravy-soaked leftover sandwich.

The first Thanksgiving Day football game was in 1876. True. Yale and Princeton played on Thanksgiving, starting a long college football tradition.

Turkeys can recognize human faces. True. Turkeys are intelligent birds with good memories and can distinguish between people.

The Pilgrims originally intended to settle in Virginia. True. Storms pushed the Mayflower to Cape Cod instead of the Hudson River.

Vegans can enjoy a complete Thanksgiving meal. True. Plant-based roasts, nut gravies, and vegetable sides provide full vegan feasts.

There are over 2,500 apple varieties grown in the U.S. True. Only about 100 are grown commercially; the rest are heirloom or wild varieties.

The wishbone tradition predates the Pilgrims by thousands of years. True. The Etruscans and Romans practiced wishbone divination long before America existed.

Thanksgiving was celebrated in Liberia by freed American slaves. True. Liberia, founded in the 1820s, observes Thanksgiving on the first Thursday of November.

Domestic turkeys are too heavy to fly. True. Selective breeding for breast meat has made commercial turkeys flightless.

The average American spends 7 hours preparing Thanksgiving dinner. True. Surveys suggest 7+ hours for preparation, cooking, and cleanup.

The Pilgrims called themselves Saints, not Pilgrims. True. 'Pilgrims' was not their self-identifier; it became common in the 1800s.

Green bean casserole was invented in a test kitchen. True. Dorcas Reilly created it at the Campbell's Soup test kitchen in Camden, New Jersey.

Turkey bowling uses a 16-pound frozen bird. Usually true. Standard frozen turkeys slide down grocery store aisles at plastic soda bottles.

The 'turkey pardon' turkeys live very short lives after retirement. True. Overbred for size, they often suffer health problems and live only 1-2 years.