History

Thanksgiving 2008

In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and members of the Wampanoag Tribe held a 3-day feast to celebrate the harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. It became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday -- and never the fifth Thursday -- of the month in order to encourage earlier holiday shopping.

Holiday-Related Facts

• By the end of November 1621, the population of "Plimoth" Plantation was approximately 85. The population of Plymouth, MA has since grown to 51,701 according to Census 2000.
• Although the Wampanoag population in 1621 is unknown, 2,336 people identified themselves as Wampanoag Indians during Census 2000.
• Will this year's pumpkin pie be homemade? If not, it may have been produced by one of the nation's 2,616 commercial bakeries.
• Wisconsin is expected to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 385 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts producing 190 million pounds. New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington are also expected to have substantial production, ranging from 15 million to 50 million pounds.
• For more Thanksgiving-related facts, visit the Census Bureau's Thanksgiving Day Facts for Features.

Featured Photograph

Every year since 1947, the National Turkey Federation presents a turkey to the president during a White House Turkey Ceremony. This year’s turkey likely originated in Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas, or Virginia, as these states produced more than half of the nation’s 271 million turkeys in 2008.

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