Stuff to Blog About and More: Thanksgiving

Nov. 27, 2008

Thanksgiving is the American harvest festival holiday. In the fall of 1621, the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. It eventually became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday.

271 million
The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2008. That’s not statistically signficantly different from the number raised during 2007. The turkeys produced in 2007 together weighed 7.9 billion pounds and were valued at $3.7 billion. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov/>

The Price is Right

$1.01
Retail cost per pound of a frozen whole turkey in December 2007.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 709 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>

Where to Feast

3
Number of places in the United States named after the holiday’s traditional main course. Turkey, Texas, was the most populous in 2007, with 465 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. (363) and Turkey, N.C. (270). There also are nine townships around the country named Turkey, three in Kansas.
Source: Population estimates
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>,
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

5
Number of places and townships in the United States that are named Cranberry or some spelling variation of the red, acidic berry (e.g., Cranbury, N.J.), a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. Cranberry township (Butler County), Pa., was the most populous of these places in 2007, with 27,126 residents. Cranberry township (Venango County), Pa., was next (6,810).
Source: Population estimates <http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>,
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>

28
Number of places in the United States named Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock, the landing site of the first Pilgrims. Plymouth, Minn., is the most populous, with 71,057 residents in 2007; Plymouth, Mass., had 55,188. There is just one township in the United States named “Pilgrim.” Located in Dade County, Mo., its population was 130. And then there is Mayflower, Ark., whose population was 2,134.
Source: Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/012242.html>,
<http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet>

116 million
Number of households across the nation — all potential gathering places for people to celebrate the holiday.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2007
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/marital_status_living_arrangements/012437.html>

Stumble It!

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.