Thanksgiving Day:
Nov. 28, 2013
150th Anniversary of Lincoln Proclamation
In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims, early settlers of Plymouth Colony, held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. The Wampanoag, the Indians in attendance, also played a lead role. Historians have recorded ceremonies of thanks among other groups of European settlers in North America, including British colonists in Virginia in 1619. The legacy of thanks and the feast have survived the centuries, as the event became a national holiday 150 years ago (Oct. 3, 1863) when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday.
Where to Feast
4.4 million
Number of multigenerational households in the U.S. in 2012. These households, consisting of three or more generations, no doubt will have to purchase large quantities of food to accommodate all the family members sitting around the table for the holiday feast — even if there are no guests! (Source: 2012 American Community Survey, Table B11017)
4
Number of places in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey Creek, La., was the most populous in 2012, with 440 residents, followed by Turkey, Texas (415), Turkey, N.C. (295) and Turkey Creek, Ariz. (294). There are also two townships in Pennsylvania with “Turkey” in the name: Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot. (Please note that the Turkey Creek, Ariz., population total pertains to the 2010 Census). (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Population Estimates and American FactFinder, Table DP-1, 2010 Census Summary File 1)
7
Number of places and townships in the United States that are named Cranberry or some spelling variation of the acidic red berry (e.g., Cranbury, N.J.), a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. Cranberry Township (Butler County), Pa., was the most populous of these places in 2012, with 28,832 residents. Cranberry township (Venango County), Pa., was next (6,608). (Please note that population totals for the two places on the list that are census designated places — Cranbury, N.J., with a population of 2,181, and Cranberry Lake, N.Y., with a population of 200 — pertain to 2010.) (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Population Estimates and 2010 Census Summary File 1)
32
Number of counties, places and townships in the United States named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. The two counties, both named Plymouth, are in Massachusetts (2012 population of 499,759) and Iowa (24,907 in 2012). Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous place, with 72,928 residents in 2012; Plymouth, Mass., had 57,463 that year. There are two places in the United States named Pilgrim: One, a township in Dade County, Mo., had a 2012 population of 127; the other, a census designated place in Michigan, had a 2010 population of 11. And then there is Mayflower, Ark., whose population was 2,312 in 2012, and Mayflower Village, Calif., whose population was 5,515 in 2010. Note: Townships have been included in these counts from 12 states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin) where the primary governmental or administrative divisions of a county serve as general-purpose local governments that can perform the same governmental functions as incorporated places. These county subdivisons are known as minor civil divisions, and the Census Bureau presents data for these in all data products for which place data are provided. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Summary File 1)
Participants in the First Feast
25.3 million
Number of U.S. residents of English ancestry as of 2012. Some could very well be descendants of the Plymouth colonists who participated in the autumn feast that is widely believed to be one of the first Thanksgivings — especially the 684,000 living in Massachusetts. (Source: 2012 American Community Survey, Table B04003)
6,500
Number of members of the Wampanoag American Indian tribal grouping, as of 2010, roughly half of whom reside in Massachusetts. The Wampanoag, the American Indians in attendance, played a lead role in this historic encounter, and they had been essential to the survival of the colonists during the newcomers’ first year. The Wampanoag are a people with a sophisticated society who have occupied the region for thousands of years. They have their own government, their own religious and philosophical beliefs, their own knowledge system, and their own culture. They are also a people for whom giving thanks was a part of daily life. (Sources: 2010 Census American Indian and Alaska Native Summary File, Table DP-1 and American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving, National Museum of the American Indian)
Preparing the Feast … Enjoying the Day … and the Aftermath
98.6%
Percentage of households in 2011 with a gas or electric stove — essential for cooking their Thanksgiving feast. Another 96.8 percent had a microwave, also helpful in preparing the meal. (Source: Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States: 2011, Table 3)
98.3%
Percentage of households with a television in 2011. No doubt, many guests either before, after, or perhaps even during the feast will settle in front of their TVs to watch some football. (Source: Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States: 2011, Table 3)
35.8%
Percentage of households with a stand-alone food freezer in 2011, which they may want to use to preserve their Thanksgiving leftovers. Far more (99.2 percent) have a refrigerator. Once all the guests leave, it will be time to clean up. Fortunately, 69.3 percent have a dishwasher to make the task easier. (Source: Extended Measures of Well-Being: Living Conditions in the United States: 2011, Table 3)
