What many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving took place in December 1621 as the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest. The day did not become a national holiday until 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month, not on the occasional fifth, to encourage earlier holiday shopping.

263 million
The preliminary estimate of the number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2004. That’s down 4 percent from 2003. The turkeys produced in 2003 weighed 7.5 billion pounds altogether and were valued at $2.7 billion. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

Where Those Mounds of Food Come From
46.5 million
The number of turkeys Minnesota expects to raise in 2004. The Gopher State is tops in turkey production. It is followed by North Carolina (39.0 million), Arkansas (28.0 million), Missouri (21.5 million), Virginia (19.0 million) and California (16.0 million). These six states together will probably account for nearly 2-in-3 U. S. turkeys produced in 2004. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

658 million pounds
The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2004, up 6 percent from 2003. Wisconsin is expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 356 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (180 million), Oregon (55 million), New Jersey (48 million) and Washington (19 million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

1.6 billion pounds
The total weight of sweet potatoes — another popular Thanksgiving staple —
produced in the United States in 2003. North Carolina (588 million pounds) produced more sweet potatoes than any other state. It was followed by Louisiana and California (each with around 310 million pounds) and Mississippi (238 million). <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

805 million pounds
Total production of major pumpkin-producing states in 2003. Illinois, with a production of 326 million pounds, led the country. There also were a whole lot of pumpkin patches in California, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. Each produced at least 70 million pounds of pumpkin. The value of all the pumpkins produced by these states was $81 million. Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving Day dessert. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

2.2 billion bushels
The total volume of wheat — the essential ingredient of bread, rolls and pies — produced in the United States in 2004. Kansas and North Dakota combined accounted for close to one-third of the nation’s wheat production. <http://www.usda.gov/nass/>

$11.4 million
The value of U.S. imports of live turkeys between January and July 2004 — almost all from Canada. Our northern neighbors also accounted for all of the cranberries the United States imported ($3.0 million). When it comes to sweet potatoes, however, the Dominican Republic was the source of most ($1.5 million) of total imports ($1.7 million). During this period, the United States ran a $5.8 million trade deficit in live turkey trade and a $269,000 deficit in cranberries, but had an $11.8 million surplus in sweet potatoes. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>

14.0 pounds
The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2002 and, if tradition be true, a hearty helping of it was devoured at Thanksgiving time. Per capita turkey consumption is virtually the same as in 1990 (13.8 pounds), but 70 percent higher than in 1980 (8.1 pounds). On the other hand, per capita sweet potato consumption is 3.7 pounds a year, down slightly from 1990 (4.6 pounds) and 1980 (4.4 pounds).
(From the upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004-2005.)

The Price is Right
$1.05
Cost per pound of a frozen whole turkey in December 2003. (From the upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004-2005.)

Where to Feast
3
Number of places in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2003, with 507 residents; followed by Turkey Creek, La. (359); and Turkey, N.C. (267). There also are nine townships around the country named “Turkey,” three in Kansas. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001856.html> <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

8
Number of places and townships in the United States that are named “Cranberry” or some variation of the name we call the red, acidic berry (e.g., Cranbury, N.J.), a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

20
Number of places in the United States named Plymouth, as in “Plymouth Rock,” legendary location of the first Thanksgiving. Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous, with 69,164 residents in 2003; Plymouth, Mass., had 54,109. Speaking of Plymouth Rock, there is just one township in the United States named “Pilgrim.” Located in Dade County, Mo., its population is 135.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001856.html> <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

106 million
Number of occupied housing units across the nation — all potential gathering places for people to celebrate the holiday. <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/ahs/01dtchrt/tab2-1.html>