 If you want to skip right to the "holiday things to do in Knoxville", just scroll down to the bottom. "Thanksgiving is an emotional time. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they see only once a year. And then they discover once a year is way too often."--Johnny Carson. Oh, the joys of Thanksgiving, am I right?! What's better than spending countless hours planning for one day of the year, being especially stressed out for those agonizing hours right before the big day arrives, all the have it disappear at the stroke of midnight on November 24th. And immediately when you wake up the next morning...BAM, Christmas here we come. Well, that is unless you're one of those "over achievers" who put their Christmas decorations up right after Halloween. And to you I say...  But in all seriousness, did you know there are some REALLY COOL facts about Thanksgiving, and why we eat what we eat, do what we do, and more?! Well, in case you didn't, East TN Tours is here to enlighten you! So here we go...
1) A person consumes an average of 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving. Roughly 3,000 of that is for the actual meal, and 1,500 is just for snacking! So you know how we set our clocks back each November? My advice...set your scale back 10 pounds... 2) And the food with the most calories? It's none other than the beloved pecan pie. Shhh, don't tell anyone, but I actually really hate this kind of pie... 3) Turkey doesn’t really make you tired; the tryptophan in the meat doesn’t really take effect because of all the other amino acids present. It’s more likely that all the wine and beer you’re drinking has made you sleepy. Ok, my husband is a doctor, so we're gonna argue with you on this one... 4) Let's face it, your history is a "little off" if you think turkey was on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims and Indians most likely ate things like deer meat, duck, pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie), actual cranberries (not relish!), and no, turduckens were probably not on the menu either. I'll admit it, several years ago when I was still in high school, I convinced my mom to let us try a turducken, and it was gross.... 5) This yummy holiday has actually had a long lasting effect on our society in the field of TV dinners. That's right! The TV dinner was actually invented by Swanson in 1953 because they had so much leftover turkey, and a salesman convinced them they should package it up in an aluminum tray with other sides. And BAM, the first TV dinner was born. I can only imagine those days back in the 50's when these things first came out...families sitting around with their pop up tray tables all eating a reheated TV dinner together. I'm lucky if my husband will let me buy a lean cuisine... 6) The National Turkey Federation estimated that 46 million turkeys—one fifth of the annual total of 235 million consumed in the United States—were eaten at Thanksgiving. Sorry, you poor, sweet birds...you don't stand a chance... 7) Black Friday is the busiest day for Roto-Rooter, a major plumbing service. They are called in to clean up “overwhelmed” sewer systems. Ew, just ew..... 8) Not so fast. Only male turkeys, called toms, gobble. Females, called hens, cackle. Gobble, cackle, we don't care...as long as you taste good! 9) If Ben Franklin had it his way, the turkey would be our national bird. An eagle, he wrote in a letter to his daughter, had "bad moral character." A turkey, on the other hand, was a "much more respectable bird." Ben Franklin has been right most of his life... 10) Last, but not least a quaint little poem to brighten your Thanksgiving spirits: "May your stuffing be tasty, May your turkey be plump. May your potatoes and gravy never have a lump. May your yams be delicious, May your pies take the prize. May your Thanksgiving dinner, Stay off of your thighs! So are you curious about what's happening in Knoxville this holiday season? No fear! We've compiled a great list of all the fun, festive things going on in and around downtown this year:
Oh, and don't forget! East TN Tours has Chef's Table and Bountiful Brunch food tours running Thanksgiving weekend, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday! Slots are starting to fill up, so get yourself, family, friends and loved ones booked while you can! Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving recipes, traditions, or funny family quirks? Comment below to tell us about them!
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