Canadian Thanksgiving predates American Thanksgiving by 43 years. The first Thanksgiving in North America was held in 1578 in what is now Newfoundland, Canada. It was 43 before the first American Thanksgiving which happened in 1621 at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in Massachusetts
Sarah Joseph Hale, who is the author of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" had contributed to the establishment of Thanksgiving as a national holiday. After 17 years of sending letters to President Lincoln, she had convinced him to support legislation establishing a national holiday of Thanksgiving in 1863. Before Thanksgiving, the only national holidays celebrated in the United States were Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) and Independence Day
The TV dinner was invented in 1953 when Swanson had 260 tons of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving and no idea what to do with it. When asked, one of the employees said that they should package it in trays with sides and freeze
There is a grocery in Paris named "Thanksgiving" that sells US food like Skippy peanut butter, Jello Instant Pudding, and Pop-Tarts to homesick ex-pats
The day after Thanksgiving is the busiest day of the year for plumbers and septic companies who call it "Brown Friday"
I'm so Thankful that my family loves my crab bisque and request it every Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Here is the recipe:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small white onion and one small potato, finely chopped
6 celery ribs, finely chopped
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Mashed Roasted Garlic
3 cups whole milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tablespoon Tabasco
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 pounds jumbo lump crab or Dungeness crabmeat
How to Make It
Step 1
In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, scallions and cook over moderate heat until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is thickened and the vegetables are very tender, 15 minutes.
Step 2
Add the roasted garlic and milk; bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream and Tabasco and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crab; simmer until hot. Serve the bisque with oyster crackers.
Make Ahead
The crab bisque can be refrigerated without the crab for up to 3 days. Reheat the bisque gently and then add the crab just before serving. Serve with fresh crusty bread.