THANKSGIVING CONVIVIALITY

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- NOVEMBER 23, 2024

Thanksgiving is next Thursday and that means relatives and friends will come together for food and conviviality. Lively conversations will be the order of the day, so this is a good time to bone up on your holiday facts. 

 

You might want to get the party going with sixty facts about Thanksgiving. “WalletHub.com took an in-depth look at Thanksgiving’s humble roots and how it has evolved over time.” (https://wallethub.com/blog/thanksgiving-facts/28332)

 

Some of the facts are revealing. For example, the average American male would need to spend ten hours on the treadmill to burn the 4,500 calories consumed at the average Thanksgiving meal. Preparing that meal requires caution because property loss caused by residential building fires each Thanksgiving amounts to $26 million. 

 

When it comes to turkey, The Vacationer.com notes: “Americans will consume 8.3 billion calories on turkey alone.” What makes this statistic interesting is that many of us don't like turkey. “More than one-third of all American adults said their most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food is turkey. The second most disliked traditional Thanksgiving food is stuffing. Rounding out the top three most disliked foods is ham.”  (https://thevacationer.com/thanksgiving-travel-survey-2024/)

 

That said, we do like our side dishes. “The Google Trends team identified the top-searched side dishes of the past month: green bean casserole, cucumber salad, potato salad, twice baked potatoes and roasted potatoes.” 

 

The team broke down the potato preference for each state. “Searches for cheesy potatoes and potatoes au gratin are clearly up in the Midwest. Michigan's favorite is au gratin. 

 

Like potatoes, pie preferences are influenced by geography. “From apple to pumpkin to sweet potato, all the classic Thanksgiving pies are worth saving room for dessert.  “Examining the U.S. as a whole, the top-searched pies are the traditional apple, pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan.” 

 

Here's where geography comes into play. “In addition to classic Thanksgiving fare, there are some less well-known pies generating interest in certain states. Pennsylvanians are looking at the molasses-based shoofly pie, for example, and Oregonians are apparently into tamale pie.” Michigan's pie of choice is apple. See nifty maps for potatoes and pies at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/americans-thanksgiving-pie-preferences-broken-down-by-state-goog_l_672cfd00e4b03941587e1201.

 

The good news is that if you crave those carbs it is completely natural. That craving is 800,000 years old. “Our ancient DNA may have shaped our love for bread, pasta, and other carbs.” 

 

Science is on the case. “New research indicates that early duplications of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) may have started more than 800,000 years ago, long before humans began to farm. These duplications opened the door for the wide genetic variations that still exist today and help us digest starchy foods.” (https://www.popsci.com/science/why-humans-like-carbs-evolution/?)

 

In addition to the Thanksgiving dinner, something that has become synonymous with the holiday is watching NFL football. “The NFL’s Thanksgiving games earned close to 100 million combined viewers last year.” This is particularly significant this year because of the success of the Detroit Lions.  

 

You may be interested to know that the very first Thanksgiving football game was in 1876 between Princeton and Yale. The first NFL game played on Thanksgiving was in 1920. This year's games are Lions vs. Bears (12:30), Cowboys vs. Giants (4:30), and Packers vs, Dolphins (8:20). 

 

That late game could be a perfect time for snacking on leftover turkey. There is nothing better for this than the Neff family traditional sandwich – turkey and peanut butter on cheap white bread. This is even more delectable if you use Michigan made Velvet peanut butter. 

 

While you watch the NFL this year, here is something to discuss. When did football pants become Bermuda shorts? These days, many players are wearing pants cut to  four to six inches above the knee (pro and college). I may be old school, but with so many games played on artificial turf doesn't skidding across that surface strip the skin off your knees? Ouch! 

 

Finally, With Thanksgiving comes a Neff Zone tradition. During the holidays, this column will strive to contain only happy and uplifting topics. To that end, once again I have compiled a Holidays web page at: https://www.neffzone.com/holidays/. Here you'll find games, crafts, recipes, and all sorts of family fun. 

 

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillcNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.