Trivia:
Believe it or not, the U.S. once celebrated two Thanksgivings because of politics. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week to spur retail sales during the Great Depression, according to the National Archives. Sixteen states refused to accept the change and Thanksgiving was celebrated for two years on two different dates. The decision, called “Franksgiving” by Roosevelt’s detractors, proved so unpopular the president signed a bill in 1941 making Thanksgiving officially the fourth Thursday in November.
Misconceptions:
The Pilgrims did celebrate a three-day harvest festival in 1621, experts say, but there’s no record the Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts received an official invitation to the party, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Instead, they might’ve crashed it. The Wampanoags, historians believe, arrived ready for battle after hearing the Pilgrims shooting their guns in the air during the festivities. Historical records mention 90 members of the tribe, led by chief Massasoit, then decided to stay for the feast — later bringing the pilgrims five deer to put venison on the menu.
Thank goodness he signed that bill, otherwise we would probably have TG on Nov 1st or earlier by now