We love Thanksgiving at Brauer, and knowing some of its history is something we all enjoy. Here are some fun Thanksgiving facts for you and your family!

1. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.

2. Their ship was called the 'Mayflower'.

3. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.

4. Sarah Joespha Hale, an American magazine editor, persuaded Abraham Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

5. The average weight of turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.

6. The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

7. The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.

Also, does tryptophan really make you sleepy -- and is turkey to blame? Experts set the record straight.

Every year at Thanksgiving, most of us engage in an annual rite of passage: stuffing ourselves mercilessly with turkey, cranberry sauce, and pie. Not a bad way to spend a Thursday. But inevitably, in that hour between feeling so full you think you'll explode and gearing up for round two with the leftovers, your relatives can find you conked out on the couch.

Along comes Aunt Mildred with her armchair scientific explanation. You're tired, she tells you, because the turkey you just ate is laden with L-tryptophan. Tryptophan, she says, makes you tired. It's as simple as that. Still curious about trytophan? Read more here. 

Just for fun

Some awesome videos

I hope you liked these fun facts! Check out our new blog if you haven't!