Answers to 5 common questions from Thanksgiving (no, pilgrims did not have turkey)

You know that Turkey Day is fast approaching when excessive amounts of canned pumpkin puree and oversized frozen poultry start coming out of the grocery store in your neighborhood.

But despite the excitement (or dread) that surrounds the annual family-oriented feast, we often forget the very reason for its existence – the story behind the holidays. Why are we celebrating it? When did it happen? What is the problem with these pilgrims?

The Google Analytics data has revealed the most wanted questions about Thanksgiving, and we're here to give you a quick overview. Turkey Day Cliff Notes, if you want. Feel free to drop these bombs of knowledge about Aunt Paula when she will begin to question you about marriage and childbirth – or when grandpa Eugene will go to great lengths with this political joke .

when is Thanksgiving? Yes, it was really the most wanted question. Thanksgiving falls every year on the fourth Thursday of November. So November 22, 2018.

When was the first Thanksgiving? November 1621, after the first successful corn harvest of settlers. The governor of the colony organized a party and invited the leader of Wampanoag and his tribe. The festival lasted three days, but did not become an annual holiday at that time.

Was the turkey on the menu? In short, no. There are few traces of the current menu, but historians say that both parties contributed to the meal: the Wampanoag brought five deer, the settlers searched for the local chicken, including the swans, and also provided seal, lobster and venison. There were probably no desserts because the pilgrims had no oven and their sugar supply was decreasing.

Why do we even celebrate Thanksgiving? All thanks to a woman. Sarah Josepha Hale, editor-in-chief of an influential women's magazine, became aware of the 1621 feast and was determined to make it an annual national holiday. Hale lobbied for President Abraham Lincoln, and in 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, Lincoln organized Thanksgiving as a national holiday on the fourth Thursday of November each year.

Are there any conflicts associated with vacations? The story of an amicable meal between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag varies according to the people who control the narration. The lessons taught in primary school often neglect the long conflict between the two groups that resulted in human and cultural death. Many people are protesting Thanksgiving and calling it the "National Day of Mourning". Some even gather at a place overlooking Plymouth Rock to remember the loss of life, land, heritage and resources.