NEWS

Thanksgiving Trivia: Turkeys, Pumpkin Pie, Jell-O, and the Origins of Black Friday

Thanksgiving is more than a holiday—it’s a blend of history, tradition, and cultural quirks that have evolved over centuries. From the selection of turkeys as the centerpiece to the rise of Jell-O salads and the financial frenzy of Black Friday, here’s a fun and insightful look at how America’s favorite fall holiday came to be filled with the foods and traditions we know today.

Why Turkeys Became the Thanksgiving Bird

  • Turkeys were abundant in North America when the holiday took shape in the 1800s. Unlike chickens, which were considered valuable for eggs, or cows for milk, turkeys were one of the few animals you could serve without sacrificing an ongoing food source.
  • Benjamin Franklin famously praised the turkey, calling it a more “respectable” bird than the bald eagle—though he never campaigned to make it the national bird, this added to its symbolic charm.
  • By the mid-1800s, Sarah Josepha Hale, the woman who campaigned for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday, regularly published turkey recipes in her magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book. Her influence helped cement the turkey as the feast’s centerpiece.
  • When Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, the idea of the turkey dinner was already firmly established.

🥧 Why Pumpkin Pie Became the Dessert of Choice

Pumpkin pie wasn’t served at the Pilgrims’ 1621 feast—but it quickly became a holiday favorite for these reasons:

  • Pumpkins were plentiful and easy to grow in colonial America.
  • Colonists brought English custard and pie-making traditions with them, and pumpkins were a perfect substitute for the fruits and sweeteners they lacked.
  • By the late 1700s, pumpkin pie became a symbol of American identity, especially in New England.
  • In the 19th century, cookbook authors began including pumpkin pie in their recommended Thanksgiving menus, locking it into tradition.
  • Today, pumpkin pie is consistently ranked one of the top three most-served Thanksgiving desserts, behind only apple pie in some regions.

Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes Today

According to national surveys (Instacart, YouGov, and Harris polling), America’s favorite Thanksgiving side dishes include:

1. Mashed Potatoes

The undisputed champion—creamy, buttery, and universally loved.

2. Stuffing/Dressing

Originally made with stale bread, onions, and herbs; now it has countless variations nationwide.

3. Green Bean Casserole

Invented in 1955 by Campbell’s test kitchen as a way to use pantry staples; it became an instant classic.

4. Cranberry Sauce

Native Americans used cranberries for dyes, medicines, and cooking long before the Pilgrims arrived.

5. Sweet Potatoes / Yams

Marshmallows were added in the 1910s as part of a marketing campaign—to this day, sweet potato casserole remains a staple.

How Jell-O Became a Thanksgiving Side Dish

Jell-O salads are one of the most uniquely American holiday traditions. They rose to fame due to:

  • Technological change: In the 1950s and 1960s, refrigeration became widespread, and gelatin dishes were a trendy way to show off a modern kitchen.
  • Marketing campaigns: The Jell-O company heavily promoted “holiday salads,” which combined gelatin with fruit, vegetables, and even mayonnaise.
  • Community cookbooks embraced the trend, spreading recipes like:
    • Lime Jell-O with pears
    • Cranberry Jell-O salad
    • Ambrosia Jell-O
  • These dishes became potluck staples—and many families still include Jell-O at Thanksgiving out of nostalgia.

🛍️ The Origin of Black Friday

Black Friday has nothing to do with Thanksgiving food—but it became forever linked to the holiday weekend.

Early Meaning (1860s–1950s)

The term “Black Friday” originally described various economic downturns—not holiday shopping.

Modern Origin (1960s)

Philadelphia police used the term to describe the chaos of post-Thanksgiving shoppers, parades, and traffic. Retailers disliked the negative tone and tried to rename it “Big Friday”—that failed.
Eventually, stores embraced the day and reframed it:

  • “Black Friday” became the day retailers went into the black, turning a profit for the year.

Today

It’s the biggest in-store and online shopping day in the U.S., kicking off a month-long retail season.

How Much Do Americans Spend?

Thanksgiving Dinner Costs

  • According to the American Farm Bureau Federation:
    • The average Thanksgiving dinner for 10 costs $61–$75 in recent years (roughly $6–$8 per person).
    • The turkey alone accounts for 30–40% of the total meal cost.

Black Friday Spending

  • U.S. consumers spend between $9–$10 billion in a single day (online + in-store combined).
  • Thanksgiving Day itself brings in another $5.5–$6 billion in online sales.
  • The entire Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday–Monday) typically exceeds $35 billion in spending.

Final Thoughts

Thanksgiving is a holiday where history, food, and culture all mix—some traditions grounded in colonial life, others born from 1950s advertising, and still others driven by modern consumerism. Whether you’re feasting on turkey and pumpkin pie or planning your Black Friday shopping strategy, the holiday reflects generations of American evolution.