Five Interesting Facts About the World
Thanksgiving in Fun Facts!
By: Lucas Wantuck
11/15/24
Hello everybody and welcome to another edition of “Five Interesting Facts About the World!” Since we’re now in November, we’re gonna have some fall fun with this article! That means feasts, leaves, candy, and don’t forget the apple cider! So, without further ado, let’s get on with the facts!
1. The U.S. president pardons a turkey each year!
Yeah, I know, pretty weird. And, the term “pardon” isn’t used the way it normally would be either. You see, every year, the current president “pardons” a turkey so that it is not eaten for thanksgiving. Now of course, these turkeys didn’t commit war crimes or any other type of crime! Instead, the term "pardoning" basically just means that the president is sparing the turkey from being the main course of a thanksgiving dinner. The tradition started with Abraham Lincoln, as his son Tad Lincoln begged him to save a turkey who was soon to become Christmas dinner. Of course, Abraham Lincoln made sure that the turkey was saved, and from that point on, we’ve had quite the interesting tradition!
2. American Thanksgiving wasn’t actually the first Thanksgiving.
When we think of Thanksgiving, we usually think of it as a staple American holiday that includes celebrating family, friends, the harvest, and other blessings or great things that happened in the previous year. Now, most people believe that the start of Thanksgiving came with the harvest fasting and feast of the colonists of Plymouth in 1621. Of course, we don’t know for sure what the true first American Thanksgiving was, but for this fact, I’m basing it off of the Plymouth celebration. Now, what some people don’t know is that Thanksgiving is a celebration that many countries have had. For this article, we will talk about the Canadian Thanksgiving. This Canadian holiday is quite similar to its U.S. counterpart as they both have their roots in their country’s respective colonists celebrating their new lives in the new world. Interestingly, the Canadian Thanksgiving actually predates the U.S. Thanksgiving by roughly 43 years! The first Canadian celebration took place in 1578 after a successful voyage to Canada near what we would now call Newfoundland.
3. Bobbing for apples was originally a dating technique!
While nowadays, we have things like Tinder and other dating websites, back in “ye olden days,” there was bobbing for apples. Yeah, the staple of fall games was originally intended to decide your future partner. Basically, in 14th century to 19th century U.K, girls would take apples and mark them. Then, the apples would be dumped into a barrel of water, and when a boy got it, they would be together. Of course, if a boy got the apple on the second, third, or fourth try, the relationship would be a flop, or at least that’s what was assumed.
4. Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners!
When it comes to Thanksgiving, we all know about the center of every meal, turkey. Paired with that, you may know of the company Swanson, which is known for their TV dinners. Interestingly, Swanson didn’t always do that, as they first sold turkey and chicken in aluminum trays to allow for easy cooking. One Thanksgiving, the Swanson company realized that they had over 260 tons of their frozen turkey left, and people weren’t going to buy them. While they were frantically figuring out how to keep the turkeys from spoiling, an employee by the name of Gerry Thomas came up with an idea of taking the leftover turkey and putting it with other side dishes like cornbread, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, and other items. They would all be put in the aluminum tray and be sold to be easily cooked. Of course, there was still the issue of making sure that everything could be properly cooked together, so Swanson’s bacteriologist, Betty Cronin, worked to fix this problem. So, now we have easy-to-cook meals that we can enjoy while watching our favorite shows!
5. Oktoberfest doesn’t even start in October?
This fact has always bothered me. I used to think, “Why would you name a festival Oktoberfest if it isn’t even in October?” But, there is an interesting reason for why the name isn’t necessarily “aligned” with the date. First of all, it should be said that it did originally start in October. But, over the years, the date was moved back to September and would was made to go into October. Why? Well, people wanted this festival to be very enjoyable, and since warm weather, like that in September, is more pleasing than October’s cold temperatures, the date was moved back to attract others. More importantly, this would allow for the festival to be more enjoyable at night, which meant that tourists and those celebrating Oktoberfest could stay longer and enjoy the festival!
Sources:
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https://10best.usatoday.com/interests/explore/10-unusual-thanksgiving-facts-to-gobble-up/
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https://www.deseret.com/2023/9/22/23884417/fall-history-facts/
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https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/dining/canadian-thanksgiving-food.html
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https://www.tastingtable.com/1065413/the-fortunetelling-history-of-bobbing-for-apples/
Spooky Facts
By: Lucas Wantuck
10/18/2024
Hello readers, and welcome to the second edition of “Five Interesting Facts About the World!” So, because we’re nearing the end of October and getting closer and closer to Halloween, I’ll be covering the spooky, scary, holiday itself, along with some sweet facts about candy! So… let’s get on with the facts!
1. Jack-o’-lanterns were originally made with turnips.
When you think of Halloween, you probably think of a few things: witches, zombies, skeletons, trick or treating, candy, scary movies, Halloween decorations on houses, and last but not least, pumpkins! More specifically, pumpkins with faces or designs carved into them. These ghoulish gourds are a staple for a good old American Halloween, but they actually started in Ireland. You see, the tradition started because of an old folk tale about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil so he could avoid a grim fate. But, as the story goes, when Jack died, he wasn’t allowed into heaven either, so he spent the rest of eternity wandering around with nothing but a lantern. Now, the people back then decided to take turnips and other vegetables, carve scary faces in them, and light them up to scare away Jack O’ Lantern and other evil spirits. The folktale then came to America where the people used pumpkins instead of turnips or radishes. And so, the staple of Halloween decorations was born!
2. An inspiration for Halloween also came from Ireland!
Like the story of Stingy Jack, a possible inspiration of Halloween also from came Ireland. The origin of the holiday came from a pagan holiday called “Samhain.” This Celtic festival was made to celebrate the coming of the harvest and the reunion of souls, while also the warding off of ghosts. People would light fires, dance, and wear costumes during the celebration. Seems familiar doesn’t it? Later on, the Pope at the time introduced “All Saints’ Day,” which was about celebrating the saints (obviously). The day before was called “All Hallows’ Eve,” which had somewhat similar traditions to All Saints’ Day. Also, the name All Hallows’ Eve sounds a lot like Halloween, which doesn’t seem like a coincidence to me!
3. Italy actually has their own “All Saints Day” and “Day of the Dead.”
Now, the idea of “All Saints Day” makes some sense given that the Vatican City is in Italy, but the “Day of the Dead” is a bit more interesting. I say this because, when you think of “Day of the Dead,” you probably think of holidays such as “Día de los Muertos,” but Italy has its own holiday! Italy’s holiday is called “Giorno dei Morti,” and to celebrate it, people spend time with their families and attend their regular Mass. Even though there are a few basic traditions that all partake in, some regions have their own traditions, like eating sweets to honor gifts that the dead may bring, or having vases full of water prepared for the dead to drink when they visit. All of these traditions are done to honor those who they love and care for, and though they may not see them in person, this holiday ensures that their memory will live on.
4. Candy Corn used to be called “Chicken Feed!”
Now, I like candy corn a lot, but I know that some people do not. Whether or not you like this sweet treat, it is easy to agree that its original name is far from appetizing. You see, back in the 1880s, many Americans were farmers, and so candy manufacturers made farming-themed sweets to appeal to those on the farm. One of these candies was called “Chicken Feed” and was created by the Goelitz Candy Company in 1898. The reason it was called chicken feed and not candy corn was because corn at the time was not edible for humans. Farmers were not able to create the hybrid corn that we eat today, so the crop was fed to chickens. Later on, the name was changed to candy corn, and it eventually became a staple for Halloween candy!
5. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups originally cost one cent!
In the early 1930s, H. B. Reese created the Peanut Butter Cup, or, as it was called back then, the “Penny Cup.” Because of this, the chocolate treat only cost a single penny. Usually though, the candies cost five cents, though they also came in one and two cent sizes, where the size of the cup determined the price. Because of the cheap prices, the Penny Cups sold incredibly well, and in 1942, H. B. Reese put all his efforts and production on his Peanut Butter Cups.
Sources:​
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https://www.history.com/news/history-of-the-jack-o-lantern-irish-origins
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https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/the-history-of-jack-o-lantern
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https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/all-hallows-eve-vs-halloween-difference
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https://www.helloglobo.com/blog/halloween-traditions-from-around-the-world
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https://www.tastemade.com/articles/8-things-you-probably-didn-t-know-about-reese-s/
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https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/Poem-Of-The-Week-Giorno-Dei-Morti-by-D-H-Lawrence-1885-1930
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reeses-peanut-butter-cup-retail-display.jpg
School Facts
By: Lucas Wantuck
10/04/24
Hello readers! My name is Lucas Wantuck and I am the returning writer for “Five Interesting Facts About the World!” Given that the school year has just started, I think that it is quite fitting for this edition’s theme to be all about school! So without further ado, let’s get on with the facts!
​1. There is a school inside of a cave!
All the way back in 1984, the people of Miao in the Guizhou region of China created a school for the children in need of one. Lacking the resources to actually build a school, they made the decision to build one inside of a cave. This school was fittingly named “Mid-Cave Primary School.” The school did not have much, but it did have wooden classrooms with desks and a basketball court for recess. Sadly, in 2011, the school was closed down, which was upsetting to the people of Miao. Thankfully, the Chinese government later built a full facility for the people of Miao so they could still get a proper education.
2. There is a school more expensive than Harvard!
Now, if you don’t know, Harvard is a very high-class college. And, while not the most expensive, it is quite the pricey place to go to. So, what if I told you that there is a boarding school that’s almost double the price! This school is called “Institut auf dem Rosenberg,” or “Institute on the Rosenberg,” in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The average cost per year at the institute is about $142,340, which just seems crazy to me. On a list of “Top Ten Most Expensive Schools Worldwide,” nine of the ten schools, counting this one, are from Switzerland! Of course, these schools are very high-end and so the cost kind of makes sense, but it’s still interesting to think about.
3. There is a school where you can basically do whatever you want!
Sounds crazy, I know, but it’s actually true! It's called the “Brooklyn Free School.” In this school, you have no tests, no homework, no grades, no curriculum, and no rules. Students there could go to any class they want, not go to any class at all, go around the area, play and hangout with friends, or just take an hour long nap, maybe even two or three if they didn’t sleep well! Though it seems like there are no rules, restrictions, or any way of keeping things in order, the whole point of this school is to teach students about leadership and democracy. They show this by having the students work together to make rules and procedures, along with management and admissions. Not only that, but classes are run and taught by students, and so any teachers there simply moderate and keep things going well. Overall, the school heavily focuses on allowing students to find their own path and do what is important to them.
4. You can go to school on a boat in Bangladesh!
In Bangladesh, floods appear very often, leading to significant damage to homes and other buildings. Because of this, millions of people suffer without necessities like clean water, electricity, and sometimes even shelter. Another huge impact is on education, as it can be dangerous, if not impossible for students to go to school. To fix the issue, Shidhulai Swanirvar, a non-profit organization, built schools on top of boats so that students can be safely taught. The boats go all around the country and pick up students at docks and riverside, like how we have bus stops. These schools have a lot more than you’d think, as they have computers, internet, solar panels, and even a small library. Because of these boats, thousands of children finally have safe access to education.
5. A school designed by students exists!
In Berlin, Germany, the Erika Mann Elementary School was built entirely for children, as the design and environment is fun, unique, functional, and creative. The school was originally built in 1915, though its more modern and interesting design was established later on in 2003, made by children and the Baupiloten, a group of architecture students at “Berlin Technical University’s Department for Planning, Construction, and the Environment.” The whole idea of the school is creating incredible and immersive environments for students. There are rooms with abstract walls, floors, and ceilings; hallways that have designs straight out of abstract art; and large, open areas with murals, pathways all around, and intricate patterns scattered throughout the building. Simply looking at any part of this school will leave you in awe, as its design is so unreal and weird. Just looking at the interior could tell you that this may be one of the coolest schools ever!