Thanksgiving 2017: Fun Facts For Your Turkey Day

HOUSTON, TX — The holidays are here, and if you think you know everything there really is to know about Thanksgiving, well you could end up looking like a real turkey.

Most of us learned early in elementary school that the Pilgrims came here aboard the Mayflower, and came ashore at Plymouth Rock in 1620, and celebrated the harvest with a three day feast.

Oh but there's more, and WalletHub.com can make you the life of your Thanksgiving shindig with these cool and interesting Thanksgiving Fun Facts.

These days, we also know, or have the opinion that:

• The Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day
• There are at least two parades in TV before any of the games begin.
• Fried Turkey is awesome.
• That someone will make the same green bean casserole they always make.
• That hardly anyone will eat the sweet potatoes and cranberries.
• You will be stuffed and asleep before 3 p.m., if you feast early.

But there are a few things that esxcape all of us, even on Thanksgiving Day.

For instance, you didn't know that Thanksgiving was not always a national holiday.

That's right, it was President Abraham Lincoln who in October 1863 proclaimed the day of feasting a national holiday.

According to WalletHub.com, there are more than a few cool facts about Turkey Day you may not know:

• 1989 was the first year a president officially pardoned a turkey. Thank You Bush 41.
• There are four towns in the U.S. with the word “Turkey” in them: Turkey Creek, Arizona; Turkey City, Texas; Turkey Creek Village, Louisiana; Turkey Town, North Carolina.
• The average Thanksgiving meal has 4,500 calories. To burn it all off would take more than 10 hours on a treadmill.
• The average cost of a Thanksgiving meal that feeds 10 people: $49.78
• Tamales instead of Turkey? In Texas maybe, but outside of the Lone Star State, 70 percent of Americans would say no way, Jose.

Family is the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving feast, along with the turkey of course, 39 percent of Americans think a properly prepared bird makes the meal perfect, while others salivate over stuffing, pumpkin pie or the mashed potatoes.

One thing is for sure, Americans know it was a great meal when there are plenty of leftovers.

Check the handy list of Thanksgiving trivia here.

Image: Getty Images

Send your news tips to bryan.kirk@patch.com