Fun Facts for Thanksgiving

No need to worry about conversation topics around the Thanksgiving dinner table. Let your guests fill up on this Thanksgiving fun facts.

• That's a lot of turkey! The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds. A turkey this size usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
• Talk about leftovers! The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.
• Maybe the "Gobbler" State is more appropriate. It may be called the "Gopher" state but Minnesota leads the way in turkey rearing, with a whopping 46.5 million turkeys taking residence up north. It is followed by North Carolina (30.0 million), Arkansas (30.0 million), Missouri (18.0 million), Virginia (17.5 million) and Indiana (16.0 million). These six states together account for about two-thirds of U.S. turkeys produced in 2011.
• Really? That much? Surprisingly, Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
• Food Findings. More than 90% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day, 50% percent put their stuffing inside the turkey and more than 40 million green bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving.
• Not a turkey in sight! Chances are, turkey, mashed potatoes and corn were nowhere near the first Thanksgiving table. The first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts featured lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.
• Mary Had a Little Turkey? Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor and author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb", persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. President Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on October 3, 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving.
• A turkey by any other name. A female turkey is called a hen and makes a clucking sound. A male turkey is know as a "Tom" and gobbles. At maturity, the average turkey shows off 3,500 feathers.