Fall Figures
Percent of Americans who spend Thanksgiving at home: 45
Percent of Thanksgiving hosts who worry about coming up with dishes that appeal to children and adults: 25
Number of hotel rooms along the Seventh Avenue route of New York City’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: 7,244
Date of origin of the oldest relics of sweet potatoes ever found: 8,000 B.C.
Varieties of sweet potatoes: More than 400
Pounds produced each year in the United States: 1.6 billion
The era that Louisiana Cajuns started the tradition of deep-frying turkeys outside: Early 1900s
Percent turnout at elections in Costa Rica, where children traditionally accompany their parents to the polls: 90
Percent turnout at elections in the United States: 54
Percent of non-voting Americans who say they were raised in a home where politics and candidates were rarely discussed: 51
Year the Florida High School Athletic Association recognized flag football as a varsity sport: 2003
Number of high-school girls who play flag football in Florida: 5,000
Number of other states that recognize flag football as a varsity sport: 1 (Alaska)
Sources: Nation’s News, MLive.com, Crain’s New York Business, Life Extension, Chiff.com, Kidsvotingusa.org, Familyeducation.com, About.com, The Miami Herald, The New York Times, HeraldTribune.com
