Tomorrow is a day for celebrating family, friends + community. And to get you in the spirit (and help you be the most in-the-know person at the dinner table), we gathered some facts about this holiday we bet you don’t know.
🦃46 million turkeys are eaten in the U.S. each year on Thanksgiving (and 22 million on Christmas).
🎃50 million pumpkin pies are eaten on Thanksgiving.
🔈Female turkeys don’t gobble, but chirp instead.
🎩200 years went by after the first Thanksgiving before it was declared a national holiday by Abraham Lincoln.
🇨🇦Canada also celebrates their own Thanksgiving in October, which was first in 1578 when Martin Frobisher (an explorer from England), found the Northwest Passage to North America.
💰We have Thanksgiving to thank for TV dinners. In 1954, an order mix-up at Swanson caused them to sell 10 million turkey dinners in aluminum trays, complete with cornbread dressing, gravy, peas + sweet potatoes for 98 cents each.
🥔Our upstairs neighbor N.C. produces the most sweet potatoes in the U.S.
🇺🇸Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday every year. But in 1939 it was celebrated early because businesses during the Depression Era hoped a longer shopping season would help the economy.
📞Need help cooking tomorrow? Butterball has a Turkey Talk-Line that can help you while cooking. It’s available via phone, text + Alexa.
If you’re not planning to spend the day in the kitchen, click the button below for the local spots that can take care of everything for you – from savory sides and delicious desserts to the whole dang turkey.
Don’t think you’ll have thyme to cook this year?
Thankfully, a few Cola restaurants can have someone else prep your turkey and serve you at their own dining room table – or deliver to yours. Get ahead of the *carve* + reserve your spot.
Order In
See an exhaustive list of where to place your Thanksgiving dinner pre-orders here. Or pickup an obviously homemade spread of everything from the rolls to the turkey to the pumpkin pie from Lowes Foods. (We won’t tell.)
Eat out
Here are a few places that will welcome you to their dinner table on Thanksgiving:
A California Dreaming Thanksgiving Feast | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | California Dreaming | 401 S Main St. | all your favorite Thanksgiving dishes ft. turkey, ham, various sides, pies + more | $19.95 or $9.95 for kids 10 + under | call 803-254-6767 to make a reservation
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse | 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | 924 Senate St. # A | choose between their dinner menu or a prix fixe Thanksgiving menu ft. a starter, entree, side + dessert | $39.95 for adults or $12.95 for kids
DoubleTree’s Thanksgiving Day Buffet | 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. | DoubleTree by Hilton Columbia | 2100 Bush River Rd. | seasonal buffet of turkey, ham, sides + desserts | $39.95 adults or $16 for children 5-10; discounts for military + seniors
Yesterday’s | 5 p.m. | 2030 Devine St. | order from the regular menu or try out traditional Thanksgiving specials
Cowboy’s Brazilian Steakhouse | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | 1508 Main St. | serving traditional offerings of meat on swords + sides as well as skewers of turkey breasts | adults $37 or $15 for kids 6-12; free for kids under 5
Cracker Barrel | 6 a.m.-10 p.m. | various locations | serving a traditional Thanksgiving dinner | $12.99 for adults or $7.99 for kids
Flying Saucer | 5 p.m.-12 a.m. | 931 Senate St. | offering their regular menu
Old Mill Brewpub | 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. | 711 East Main St., Lexington | offering their regular menu + a full turkey dinner option
Places like The Whig, Carolina Ale House + British Bulldog Pub will also be open for abbreviated hours on Thanksgiving day. See a full list of open Midlands restaurants here.
If you’re traveling elsewhere in S.C., check out this list.
Just need a breather?
If you are cooking tomorrow, but want to start your day with a little fresh air or get out of the house after you eat (read: avoid dish duty), here are some things you can do:
14th Annual Turkey Day 5K | Saturday, Nov. 22 | 8-11 a.m. | Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands | 500 Gracern Rd. | $30 | proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands to create better programming + services
Try any of these local hikes to walk off all that sweet potato casserole.
Take your stir-crazy kids to do one of these 10+ free family activities.
Pack up the car and go on a mini #RoadTrip to one of these 30 outdoor adventures in the Carolinas.
Or volunteer with a local organization looking for help around Thanksgiving.
Whether you’re staying in or venturing out tomorrow, we hope you get to spend Thanksgiving stuffing your face + surrounded by your loved ones.
