9 Money Facts About Thanksgiving You Probably Didn’t Know

You’ve come to the right place if you’ve ever wondered how much it would cost to enter a huge balloon in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Thanksgiving is a moment to express gratitude and to eat. And also to read strange financial Thanksgiving facts.

It’s up to you how you decide to consume these facts. Do you want to make yourself hungry by using them? Or would you prefer to read them after eating to help with digestion?

Alternatively, you could attempt to read the remaining five facts after the meal but fall asleep before you can finish. We strongly advise against reading them at the dinner table. That is impolite. Unless it prevents you from clashing with that one cousin. The one, you know.

So without further ado, here are the answers to your most pressing Thanksgiving facts.

1. How much is spent on turkey

Even though the turkeys have committed terrible crimes, the President pardons one every year at the White House. 227,660,000 American turkeys didn’t have the same luck in 2019, though. Minnesota was the state that slaughtered the most turkeys, sending more than 42 million gobblers to be consumed.

Last November, that turkey was selling for 89 cents per pound; given that it weighs on average 32 pounds when killed, that amounts to about $6,483,756,800 in wholesale price.

Although those numbers may seem large, they are nothing compared to the number of chickens that are killed annually in the United States. In 2019, more than 9 billion chickens were butchered.

Actually, it makes sense. You must eat your turkey for Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition. But we all agree that chicken is preferable. It’s tastier and moister. There are only two justifications for eating turkey: either it’s Thanksgiving or you don’t feel deserving of chicken.

Feel free to express your disagreement in the comments. Oh, there’s no space for comments? Whoops!

2. Day with the most home fires in America

Here is a tip: It is a public holiday. You interpreted that right: It’s Christmas!

Just kidding! Thanksgiving Day. And no, not the Thanksgiving holiday noted in Canada on the second Monday in October, which is unlikely to have much of an impact on fires in the United States.

On Thanksgiving, there are more than three times as many home-cooking fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Turkey fryers, which the NFPA strongly advises against, may be one of the culprits. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, “turkey fryer fires” were blamed for more than $8 million in damages between 2002 and 2014. Try saying that five times quickly now!

3. How much people spend on Thanksgiving dinner

Given the numerous other holiday-related expenses that crop up one after another, many people find it difficult to afford a generous Thanksgiving meal. But just in case you’re reading this on a machine made of solid gold with a magnificent diamond screen, you should be aware that there are incredibly expensive options for the picky gazillionaire.

Thanksgiving dinners at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in New York City cost about as much as a high-end luxury vehicle. The 2019 menu was $181,000 in price. There was more than just food included in the 12-person meal. Super Bowl tickets, a romantic cruise for two, and two new iPhones were among the extras.

The food broke the bank as well, even though theoretically they could have added enough perks to reach $181,000 while serving cold turkey sandwiches. Other expensive items included seafood stuffing mixed with champagne, candied sweet potatoes with imported Spanish bacon, and turkey gravy infused with a $3,650 bottle of Louis XIII cognac.

Does any of it really taste good enough to justify the cost? That’s almost certainly not the point, though, is it?

4. Cost of a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held in 1924, but it wasn’t broadcast on television because it wouldn’t be created for another three years. This year, everyone who wishes to watch will have to do so from the comfort of their own homes due to COVID.

Have you ever watched Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and wished you could see yourself as a balloon floating over New York City? No? We certainly haven’t, to be honest. But because we assumed you would be interested in knowing, we looked up the cost for your benefit.

Making new balloons can cost up to $200,000. Got one already? You’ll still have to pay $90,000 to enter the parade.

5. How much do people spend traveling on Thanksgiving weekend

The weekend after Thanksgiving is typically a busy travel period. Travel, one of many Thanksgiving traditions, is, however, taking on a very different appearance this year (for reasons that should be obvious if you’ve been following the news this year).

A recent report found that 75% of young adults do not anticipate traveling this year, and of those who do, the vast majority intend to drive.

Instead, 29% of those polled said they intended to participate in a virtual family reunion, just as the pilgrims might have done if they had access to modern technology.

6. How Black Friday actually began

Thanksgiving’s conclusion and the start of the holiday shopping season have long been connected. After the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving on the final Thursday in November, and Ulysses S. Grant and Congress made it official. It stayed that way until that specific date led to a problem with shopping.

Due to the fact that the last Thursday of November in 1939 also happened to be the last day of the month on the calendar, the holiday shopping season would have been shortened for a nation already struggling to recover from the Great Depression. To give Americans more time to shop for holiday gifts, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to move Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November.

Since then, the day after Thanksgiving (later known as Black Friday) has grown busier and more crowded as customers jostle for the best deals. Even with Cyber Monday coming up, the trampling this year is probably going to be more virtual in nature.

In order to satisfy consumer demand and expectations during the holiday season, major brands will need to modify their advertising, promotions, and sales strategies. Every year, the holidays are a crucial time for brands, but this year is especially risky for retailers due to changes in the market brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Compared to last year, when 63% of respondents said they planned to shop on Black Friday, only 32% said they would do so this year; 53% said they would spend less or weren’t sure yet.

7. How much it would cost to serve the first Thanksgiving meal

Lincoln may have inaugurated the annual tradition of Turkey Day, but he wasn’t the first president to declare the last Thursday of the month as a national day of gratitude. George Washington and other prior presidents had done so less frequently. Although the exact date of the first Thanksgiving, which the pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated, is unknown, it may have been closer to Halloween.

What is known is that they did not consume turkey, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie. Venison was brought to the feast by the Wampanoag Indians of what is currently known as New England. If you’re looking for a price comparison, Butterball turkeys nowadays seem to cost between 89 cents and $1.50 per pound, while the cheapest cuts of venison are available for about $12 per pound.

Even though turkey may cost more than chicken, it is still less expensive than venison. Though we are unable to comment on the total cost of going hunting on your own.

8. Cranberries being a delicacy and how much they cost

Despite saying they don’t like canned cranberry sauce, 29% of Americans say they will consume it on Thanksgiving. They might want to speak up.

The price of Wisconsin cranberries increased by 4% to $29.30 per barrel last year as a result of a decline in production. And if you have any knowledge of cranberry production—which we don’t—that might be important to you.

9. Football

Sadly, the Dallas Cowboys are unable to take a holiday break. They always play a Thanksgiving game, which is typically the NFL regular-season football game with the highest television ratings.

Despite the fact that different teams must adhere to various COVID regulations, the Cowboys are currently selling tickets for their Thanksgiving game in Texas. Depending on the seat, costs can range from $79 to more than $3,000. Since we lack the necessary expertise, we are unable to comment on the pandemic precautions that are being implemented. What we can say with certainty is that watching the game at home will undoubtedly be less expensive.

Those were some interesting facts, wow! Hope that this Thanksgiving trivial quiz helped you get hungry. It’s time to eat!