Will and Guy's Thanksgiving jokes, traditions, pictures and stories

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Thanksgiving Stories, Traditions, Jokes and Funny Pictures Thanksgiving Jokes, Pictures and Funny Stories

The Taylor's were proud of their family tradition. Their ancestors had travelled to America with the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower. They had included Congressmen, successful entrepreneurs, famous sports people and television stars.

They decided to research and write a family history, something for their children and grandchildren. They found a specialist genealogist and writer to help them. Only one problem arose - how to handle Great Uncle Jefferson Taylor who was executed in the electric chair.

The writer said she could handle the story tactfully. When the book appeared the section about Jefferson read:

Great Uncle Jefferson Taylor occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution, he was attached to his position by the strongest of ties, and his death came as a great shock.

Thanksgiving – A Truly American Story

It all started with the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower. They came ashore at Plymouth Rock on December 11th 1620. That first winter was severe and by the fall of 1621 almost half of the original 102 settlers had died of hardship. However, the vegetables were new to the Pilgrims and they needed help from the Iroquois Indians to grow crops such as maize and pumpkins. Thanks to the skill of native Indians like Squanto, and good fortune, the harvest of 1621 was bountiful.

Governor William Bradford famously sent 'four men fowling' . They returned with deer, wild ducks and geese. While they probably did not have turkey as we know it, the Pilgrims coined the word 'turkey' as a generic term for any wild fowl. The resulting feast was more like an English harvest festival than a true Thanksgiving observance. Thanksgiving - happy turkey!

If we fast forward 200 years, Sarah Hale, a magazine editor, campaigned tirelessly for a national Thanksgiving day. Hale wrote in Godey's Lady's Book, eventually Sarah's idea caught the president's eye and in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the that last Thursday in November would be a national day of Thanksgiving. In 2007 Thanksgiving day is on November 22nd. (2008 - November 27th, 2009 -November 26th.)

In Canada they set Thanksgiving Day on the second Thursday in October. Here it was Martin Frobisher who in Newfoundland first gave thanks for surviving his explorations in 1578. Other countries who celebrate Thanksgiving include Argentina and Brazil. Japan have a national holiday on 23rd November to celebrate Labour / Thanksgiving day.

Thanksgiving Traditions

Children love Macy's Thanksgiving day parade through Manhattan, New York. I wonder how many people have attended at least one parade since its inception in 1924*?

One constant theme of Macy's parade is characters made of balloons, indeed we muse in the 1930's did Walt Disney make Macy's parade, or did Macy's parade make Disney?

Some say Macy's parade did not start until 1927, the argument centers over the naming of the 1924 version, 'Macy's Christmas Day Parade', the confusion arises because it was held at Thanksgiving.

Old timers say they used to release balloons with prizes for those who found the balloon. Many think it would be great if Macy's resurrected the tradition.

Amongst other cities, Detroit is at the forefront of celebrations. Since 1924 they have their own parade down Woodward avenue. Also their NFL team, the Detroit Lions always play a game on Thanksgiving, a tradition that goes back to 1934.

Whitehouse Tradition Continues - Turkey meets Bush

Going with tradition, George W Bush pardons the turkey on the White House lawn. Each year the President of the United States pardons a turkey before Thanksgiving at a White House ceremony.

The tradition's origin is uncertain. One story claims that Harry Truman pardoned a turkey in 1947, but the Truman Library has been unable to find any evidence for this. Another claims that the tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln, in October 1863, pardoning his son Tad's pet turkey. Both of these stories have been cited in recent presidential speeches.

Interestingly, the great American public is allowed to vote for the turkeys' names on the White House web site. 2006's turkeys were named Flyer and Fryer; 2005's turkeys were named Marshmallow and Yam; 2004's were named Biscuit and Gravy; and 2003's were Stars and Stripes.

Turkey Shoot!

Apparently there are more turkeys in Missouri than in Texas. As a Welshman, when I read that the state of Missouri allows hunters to bag two birds in the month of October, I had no idea what was going on in these Missouri woods so I did a little research. The first thing that struck me was that if a permit costs $13 then you better make sure that you hit a turkey. Then I read about hunting gear, and realized that this was not about cost, or even about eating turkey, it was about good old fashioned hunting.

What impressed me most was a group who hunted turkey with bows and arrows, now that seemed like a fair contest.

Joe and Eddie were talking about the turkey shoot. Joe says emphatically, 'I am never going to take my wife shooting with me ever again, Eddie!'

'That bad, eh?' enquires Eddie smiling.
'Yeah, she did everything wrong, got nothing right. She talked too much, constantly disturbed the undergrowth, loaded the wrong gauge shot in the gun, used the wrong luring whistles and worst of all she shot more turkeys than me!' bellows Joe.

Thanksgiving Poem

Will and Guy have been sent this poem which reflects the positive spirit of Thanksgiving:

For the wife
Who says it's hot dogs tonight
Because she is home with me
And not out with someone else.

For the husband
Who is on the sofa
Being a couch potato
Because he is home with me
And not out at the bars.

For the teenager
Who is complaining about doing dishes
Because it means she is at home,
Not on the streets.

For the mess to clean after a party
Because it means I have
Been surrounded by friends

For the clothes that fit a little too snug
Because it means
I have enough to eat.

For a lawn that needs mowing,
Windows that need cleaning,
And gutters that need fixing
Because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining
I hear about the government
Because it means
We have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot
I find at the far end of the parking lot
Because it means
I am capable of walking,
And I have been blessed with transportation.

For weariness and aching muscles
At the end of the day
Because it means I have been
Capable of working.

For the alarm that goes off
In the early morning hours
Because it means
I am alive.

And finally, for too much e-mail
Because it means
I have friend who is thinking of me.

Thanksgiving Jokes, Pictures and Funny Stories

Thanksgiving Stories, Traditions, Jokes and Funny Pictures

Those Ancestors!

Thanksgiving – A Truly American Story

Thanksgiving Traditions

Whitehouse Tradition Continues - Turkey meets Bush

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Turkey Shoot!

Thanksgiving Poem

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