Located in a multicultural city such as Madrid, at URSO we love to welcome a variety of traditions and festivities… And, as the last Thursday of November approaches, we have once again taken it upon ourselves to bring Thanksgiving Day to life with a dazzling American-style feast.
Thanksgiving is one of those American traditions that, over the years, has slowly spread around the world. And understandably so… a day dedicated exclusively to spending time with loved ones while feasting and counting your blessings, who could say no?
Here are four interesting facts about this tradition that make for great dinner table conversations for this holiday:
1. Thanksgiving Day? More like days…
When we refer to this holiday as a feast, we truly mean it. The first recorded Thanksgiving celebration took place in 1621. The passengers who travelled aboard the Mayflower to the New World in 1620, a year later, decided to host a special feast to celebrate the great harvest they had experienced and invite those who had helped them survive the winter. And this celebration lasted three whole days!
2. Pardon?
When one thinks of Thanksgiving, the image of a turkey comes to mind. It is undoubtedly the star of most dinner tables on the last Thursday of November, but not all turkeys have to face the same fate…
Since 1989, it has become a tradition for the president to pardon a turkey and make sure that it never becomes dinner.
3. Did you know that…?
One of our favourite Christmas carols, “Jingle Bells”, was in fact intended to be a Thanksgiving Day song. Composed in 1857 by James Pierpont, the song was originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” until it was renamed after it became so popular at Christmas.
4. Any doubts about the turkey?
The American turkey company Butterball have a unique hotline, known as the Turkey Talk-Line, set up with the sole purpose of resolving any questions on how to cook your turkey. This curious yet useful helpline, which answers more than 100,000 questions, is available to American and Canadian households every November and December.
Now that you are familiar with the curiosities of this festivity, we invite you to create your own anecdotes for the act of giving thanks. Come together with your nearest and dearest in the centre of Madrid and celebrate an unforgettable Thanksgiving with URSO Hotel & Spa.
