www.FredParent.NET • 27
According to historians, turkey was
not the centerpiece of the first
Thanksgiving. While it may have
been served, Smithsonian.com says
it's much more likely that goose
or duck was more prominent on
the menu.
Wild turkeys can run up to 25 miles per hour.
(No wonder the Pilgrims didn't serve many that
first year!)
As forks were not at all in widespread use in
the 1620s, it's likely the Pilgrims ate their feast
mostly with their bare hands!
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade premiered in 1924…but
it wasn't the first department
store-sponsored parade.
Gimbel's, in Philadelphia,
started the tradition in 1920.
When you see President
Obama pardon a turkey this
year, you may be one of the
few who know this tradition
was started formally in 1947
with Harry Truman, though
Abe Lincoln, according to
History.com, may have informally pardoned his son
Tad's pet turkey almost 100 years earlier.
Back to that green bean casserole…Did you know
it was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the
Campbell Soup Company? She was looking for an
easy recipe that most Americans could make from
ingredients already in their kitchens. In addition
to green beans, her
recipe calls for cream of
mushroom soup, French
fried onions, milk, soy
sauce and ground black
pepper. Mmm, mmm good!
BY MARY BECELIA
COOL
FACTS
I
t's almost time to gather 'round the table and
stuff yourself silly. In between watching Uncle
Hank carve the turkey and passing the green
bean casserole, here are some tidbits for you to
contribute to the conversation!
"I thought Thanksgiving would be a good
time to take our family trip. I'm trying
to find a place that's warm, beautiful
and doesn't eat holiday turkey."
