Thursday Open Line


Today is Thanksgiving Day, one of the most traditional of American holidays, thought to have begun in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The holiday became national in scope in 1863, and the fourth Thursday of the month has been the official day since 1941. It’s a time for family gatherings that combines solemnity and joy — and often involves watching football. In many of the nation’s 115 million households, people will share a special meal, typically turkey with all the traditional trimmings. U.S. farmers raise around 240 million turkeys annually, worth just under $5 billion. Americans eat an average of about 12.5 pounds of turkey each year, while the birds themselves have … or had … an average weight of 30 pounds. The men and women of the U.S. Census Bureau wish you and your loved ones a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving.