Thanksgiving is greater than only a day on the calendar. It’s a celebration of gratitude, meals, household, and custom. People have embraced this event in numerous methods, creating a vacation season that is each culturally and economically important. However have you ever ever stopped to marvel in regards to the numbers behind Thanksgiving?
How Many Turkeys Are Consumed On Thanksgiving?
Annually, People place turkey entrance and middle on their Thanksgiving tables. In accordance with the Nationwide Turkey Federation, an estimated 46 million turkeys are consumed throughout Thanksgiving. That’s almost 18% of the 245 million turkeys raised yearly within the U.S.
The common turkey weighs about 16 kilos, and with hundreds of thousands of households serving roast turkey, this provides as much as over 736 million kilos of turkey meat loved through the vacation.
Facet Dishes And Dessert Aren’t Far Behind
Thanksgiving isn’t simply in regards to the turkey—it’s additionally in regards to the sides and desserts that full the feast. Right here’s what the numbers say about everybody’s favourite accompaniments.
Mashed Potatoes And Cranberries
- 250 million kilos of potatoes are consumed on Thanksgiving.
- In the meantime, People eat 80 million kilos of cranberries across the vacation, with cranberries usually ready as relishes, sauces, or jellied sides.
Pumpkin Pie Reigns Supreme
What’s Thanksgiving with out dessert? Pumpkin pie persistently takes the crown as the preferred selection, with 50 million pies devoured through the vacation. To supply that many pies, the U.S. grows over 1.5 billion kilos of pumpkins yearly.
Thanksgiving Journey Statistics
Thanksgiving isn’t simply in regards to the meal; it’s additionally about coming along with family members. For a lot of, which means hitting the street or taking to the skies.
On The Street
In accordance with AAA, 55 million People journey 50 miles or extra from house for Thanksgiving—a quantity that’s returned to pre-pandemic ranges. About 89% of those vacationers drive, usually going through congested highways and elevated gas costs through the vacation rush.
Airports And Flights
Thanksgiving week is without doubt one of the busiest journey instances of the 12 months. The TSA stories screening 2–3 million passengers per day within the days main as much as Thanksgiving. Main airways put together for larger visitors volumes by including additional flights, however the surge usually means longer wait instances and pricier tickets.
Soccer, Parades, And Leisure
Thanksgiving isn’t all about meals and household; it’s additionally in regards to the traditions we sit up for 12 months after 12 months.
The Thanksgiving Day Parade
The long-lasting Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade attracts crowds of round 3.5 million individuals to the streets of New York Metropolis. Moreover, 50 million viewers tune in from their houses to observe the spectacle of balloons, floats, and performances.
Thanksgiving Soccer
Soccer is one other Thanksgiving staple. Annually, the NFL schedules three Thanksgiving Day video games, with viewership numbers exceeding 32 million individuals per sport. The custom traces again to 1934 when the Detroit Lions performed the primary NFL Thanksgiving sport, sparking a long-
Bringing It All Collectively
Thanksgiving is greater than a vacation—it’s a celebration embedded in American tradition. From gathering with family members to indulging in scrumptious meals and celebrating time-honored traditions, it’s a day that unites hundreds of thousands throughout the nation. And as these numbers present, Thanksgiving is as a lot about connection and kindness as it’s about monumental journey schedules and jaw-dropping pumpkin pie consumption.
No matter your plans this Thanksgiving, could your hearts (and plates!) be full.
