Weekly Facts (with a Thanksgiving theme)

1. The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days. (it's probably best that we don't do a 3-day Thanksgiving....it would be just more days for us to eat and stuff ourselves. But then again...)
2. Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving. Whereas earlier the presidents used to make an annual proclamation to specify the day when Thanksgiving was to be held. (but I read that later Congress passed a law in 1941 making the fourth Thursday of November the national annual holiday of Thanksgiving. I guess Lincoln chose the actual day for it being on the fourth Thurs, but it was never written in a law for it to be on that day every year).
3. A female turkey is called a hen and a male turkey is called a tom. (some of you may already know this).
4. Benjamin Franklin lobbied to make the turkey the U.S.'s national symbol. (I'm glad that this was not chosen...the eagle was a much better choice).
5. The sound a male turkey makes is a gobble, but a female turkey clucks.
6. A mature turkey has about 3500 feathers.
7. Minnesota produces the most turkeys annually. (I was surprised at this).
8. Wild turkeys can run up to 25 mph.
9. The Native American tribe that celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the colonists was the Wampanoag tribe.
10. Wild turkeys can fly up to 55 mph. (they are pretty fast birds).
11. 90% of American homes have turkey on Thanksgiving.
12. Israel consumes the most turkey per capita per year.
13. The skin that hangs from a turkey's neck is called a wattle.

Hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving holiday next week!!!