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Quote: “It’s not good to travel through life without breaking a sweat.” ~John Maxwell

Dear Team, For this month’s newsletter I thought we could all use a bit of whimsy. I found this article and think you will get a giggle and some little known tidbits that may help you win a trivia game over the holidays!

8 Surprising Facts You Never Knew About Thanksgiving From T.V. dinners to FDR, it all comes back to Thanksgiving.

BY LEAH SILVERMAN AND KATIE ROBINSON

SEP 18, 2020

Most of us have come to think of Thanksgiving as an opportunity to express our gratitude for the abundance in our lives, whether that's the good relationships we have with our friends and families, our opportunities, our health—and to stuff ourselves with mashed potatoes, of course. But the holiday's history is a bit more involved than just a commemoration of the gratitude we should share in our lives every day of the year. As it happens, the story of Thanksgiving has many layers that include spectacle, entrepreneurial spirit, and economic recovery—and, naturally, feasting.

1. A WOMAN NAMED SARAH JOSEPHA HALE LOBBIED CONGRESS FOR YEARS TO MAKE THANKSGIVING AN OFFICIAL HOLIDAY.

If it wasn't for this determined woman, Thanksgiving wouldn't exist today. Hale's allegiance to Thanksgiving began in 1827 and was based in national pride; she hoped to make it “permanently, an American custom and institution.” It wasn't until 1863 that President Lincoln finally declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. Seeing as the President did this in throws of the Civil War, Thanksgiving is considered by some to be an attempt on behalf of the president to bring some peace back to the country.

2. ORIGINALLY, THANKSGIVING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CELEBRATED IN NOVEMBER AT ALL, BUT RATHER MID-OCTOBER.

There isn't clear historical information on the actual date of the first Thanksgiving. President Lincoln assigned the holiday to fall on the last Thursday in November, possibly to coincide with the date the Pilgrims first landed the Mayflower in New England.

3. IN 1939, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT CHANGED THE DATE OF THANKSGIVING TO ONE WEEK EARLIER.

Roosevelt hoped that a lengthened holiday shopping season would increase spending and alleviate the crippling Depression. This resulted in two consecutive years of conflicting Thanksgiving Day celebrations, as some states refused to recognize the change.

4. THE FIRST MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE IN 1924 FEATURED LIVE ANIMALS FROM THE CENTRAL PARK ZOO.

In addition to four bands, a large Santa float, and costumed Macy's employees, also participating in the parade were live animals including bears, elephants, camels, and monkeys from the zoo.