Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

This is my favorite holiday & I think it's safe to say it's a majority of people's favorite. The fire in the fireplaces along with turtlenecks & sweaters, falling leaves & holiday decorations are signs fall has finally arrived in Southern California.

Most people claim they cherish Thanksgiving because of the food. I won't dispute that, but I love it for the warmth & gaiety it brings......being with family & friends starting in mid-afternoon & celebrating long into the night. Somehow we all feel a little closer to each other at this time as we treasure what is around us & how lucky we are to have one another.

Here are some fun facts about the holiday you may not know:

1. The first Thanksgiving day was celebrated in the fall of 1621 in Plymouth, MA & lasted for three days.

2. The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving an annual custom in 1817.

3. In 1863, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be the last Thursday of every November. Before that each president decided when the holiday should be celebrated; always in the fall, but at a different time each year.

4. In 1939, President Roosevelt proclaimed it to be the 4th Thursday of every November to lengthen the holiday retail season by a week. This was his way of stimulating the failing economy.

5. List of foods that were available to the colonists at the time of the 1621 feast & were probably on their menu:

SEAFOOD: lobster, clams, eel & cod

WILD FOWL: wild turkey, geese, ducks, swans, partridges & eagles

MEAT: venison & seal

GRAIN: wheat

VEGETABLES: pumpkin, corn, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes & carrots

FRUIT: plums & grapes

NUTS: walnuts, chestnuts & acorns

HERBS & SEASONINGS: olive oil, liverwort, leeks, dried currants & parsnips

6. These traditional holiday foods did not exist at the first Thanksgiving:

POTATOES: potatoes of any kind were not growing in North America during this period.

CRANBERRY SAUCE: the colonists had cranberries but no sugar. Cranberries were mainly used by the Indians for medicinal purposes.

PUMPKIN PIE: the recipes did not exist at this time--they stewed the pumpkins.

7. Pilgrims are shown wearing only black & white clothing, but actually that was only worn on Sunday & formal occasions. Women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet & gray; while men wore clothing in white, beige, earthy green & brown.


8. Minnesota is the top turkey producing state in America & Illinois grows the most pumpkins.


With Thanksgiving, the holiday season is officially here. Remember to order holiday gifts for your loyal customers. There's still time. This isn't the place to budget--you don't want to be part of the cuts your clients make in their own budget next year.


My last posts have detailed how to choose the appropriate gift plus ideas for the individual client & for the entire office. Please read them to help you choose the gift to wow your customer & make an impact with your company name. Customized promotional items are perfect business gifts--your logo should be visible, but discreet.


Keep in mind that even though you should have plenty of promotional imprinted products on hand to give out, these should not be given out as holiday gifts. Your client won't jump up & down with the .50 pen they've been writing with all year or the letter opener they've used everyday. Promotional custom products should definitely be used as appreciation gifts, but they need to be special & more unique than what is usually distributed among the public for company recognition.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  I hope this is your best ever!

IT'S YOUR COMPANY......SHOW IT OFF!!!

Ronni Sherman