So, it turns out that Abraham Lincoln was the one who actually declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, and it was largely due to the efforts of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, who campaigned for years to make it happen. And, fun fact: the first Thanksgiving is often attributed to the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe coming together in 1621, but it wasn't actually called "Thanksgiving" back then - that name came later. I guess you could say it was a hash tag before its time!
Now, when it comes to the main event - the food - there are some pretty wild statistics out there. For example, did you know that Americans consume over 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving each year? That's a whole lotta gobbling going on! And, on average, we each eat around 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day - yikes, that's a lot of stretches!
How To Cook Everything On Thanksgiving
But, let's not forget about the real stars of the show: the side dishes. I mean, sure, the turkey is great and all, but it's the mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce that really make the meal. And, have you ever noticed how everyone has their own secret recipe for these dishes? It's like they're trying to outdo each other in some kind of culinary competition!