Random Facts » Holidays

The odds an adult will plan to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa are 1 in 1.07 US

Admin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:11:49 +0000

1 in 1.07The odds an adult will plan to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa are 1 in 1.07 US, 9/2008 – 10/2008.

via Book of Odds – The odds an adult will plan to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa are 1 in 1.07 US, 9/2008 – 10/2008..

Macy’s Parade Fun Facts!

Admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:47:21 +0000

# The first parade was in 1924 and featured floats, clowns, bands and a few zoo animals.

# The parade was originally called “Macy’s Christmas Parade”

# In 1927 live animals were replaced with large balloons. The very first balloon was Felix The Cat.

# The parade route has only changed once, in 1945, from 145th Street and Convent Avenue to the modern day kick off at 77th Street and Central Park West.

# The parade has been held continuously from 1924, except for 1942-1944 when it was halted due to WWII.

# The parade’s first national broadcast was on NBC in 1948.

# This year’s 80th celebration will feature more than 10,000 participants and be viewed by approximately 3.5 million live spectators, with another 50 million watching on television.

via NBC.com – Macy’s Parade.

11 Thanksgiving Facts: the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924

Admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:12:31 +0000

Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. This year it falls on November 26
The pilgrims arrived in North American in December 1620. By the fall of 1621 only half of them had survived. Those survivors, thankful to be alive, celebrated the first Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days
The first Thanksgiving was held in the presence of ninety Wampanoag Indians, including their chief, Massasoit. The Wampanoag taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land
Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not have big buckles on their clothing, shoes, or hats. Buckles did not come into fashion until the late 1600s – more appropriate for the Salem Witchcraft trial time period
President George Washington issued the first national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in the year 1789 and again in 1795. Subsequent Presidents made their own proclamations as to when Thanksgiving Day would be held – it varied year to year. In 1941, Congress set aside the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day
Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was “the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard.”
Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century, was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Originally known as Macy’s Christmas Parade—to signify the launch of the Christmas shopping season—the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924. It was launched by Macy’s employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television
The average American eats 18 lbs. of turkey a year. The average person consumes 4500 calories on Thanksgiving Day
According to data collected by the American Farm Bureau, in 2009, a home-prepared Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 costs $42.91 on average – $1.70 or 4 percent less than last year

via Thanksgiving 2009: Fun Facts To Amaze All Your… | Gather.