The Surprisingly Strange History of Thanksgiving (and Other Turkey Day Trivia)

Massacres, myths, and the making of the great November holiday.

The history of the holiday meal tells us that turkey was always the centerpiece, but other courses have since disappeared.

In the runup to the Civil War, there was strong resistance in the South toward Thanksgiving itself.

The author of the children’s poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was persistent in arguing that establishing the national November holiday could help heal wounds from the Civil War.

Before trick-or-treating came along, there was “Thanksgiving masking” and “Ragamuffin Day.”

At one point, turkey was jockeying with duck and chicken for king of the Thanksgiving table.

This was, first lady Grace Coolidge later wrote, “no ordinary raccoon.”

Tofu turkey was created in 1990, but some Americans celebrated Thanksgiving with veggie dishes over a century ago.

Before Friendsgiving, there was Franksgiving.

Come on a trip through America’s second-most absurd tradition, right after the Electoral College.

In 1997, the former Soviet leader needed money, and Pizza Hut needed a spokesman. Greatness ensued.

In 1920, two Chicago teams faced off in a ‘loser leaves town’ battle that changed football forever – even if it never actually happened.

From ‘turkey trot’ to ‘going cold turkey,’ the centerpiece to many Thanksgiving dinners has lent its name to many things. But it also borrowed its name from elsewhere.

Explore the history of cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and the case for using controversial but beloved canned cranberry sauce for your celebration.

A turducken is a cooked turkey stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a duck. But although it's a relatively recent American dish, its history goes back centuries.

Long before Americans made it about Thanksgiving, the cornucopia invoked magic goats and god-bulls.

Typically, when demand for a product goes up, so does the price. But at Thanksgiving, when demand for turkeys is at its highest, turkey prices drop. Our Planet Money team looks into this mystery.

How John Hughes made a 1987 buddy comedy/road movie that doubles as a rare Turkey Day classic.