Happy Thanksgiving

As Americans enjoy Thanksgiving and its turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes and pumpkin pies, we've compiled the facts and figures about our national holiday, just in time for the beginning of the holiday shopping season.

Infographics: Thanksgiving 2011 © CreditDonkey

Humble Beginnings

With the 66-day passage and 102 people on the Mayflower, Thanksgiving was born. The first feast was a three-day event at Plymouth Colony, sometime between September 21 and November 11, 1621.

In 1863, at the peak of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.

Now, an expected 248 million turkeys will be raised in the U.S. in 2011. Of which, 1 in 5 of all turkeys will be consumed at Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving by the Numbers:

• 5 deers for 3 days with no pies at the first feast
  
• Lobster, seal and mussels were on the menu
  
• Minnesota alone is expected to produce 46.5 million turkeys in 2011
  
• 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins were produced in 2010
  
• 2.4 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced in 2010
  
• 750 million pounds of cranberries is expected to be produced in 2011

88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation said they eat turkey on this holiday. "Will you be among them?" asked Charles Tran, founder of CreditDonkey. "With the rising cost of food this year, consumers should consider using a money-saving grocery credit card to help stuff the dinner table. Grocery credit cards can help families earn extra cash back when shopping at their local supermarket and grocery stores."

Families can review the infographic above to learn more about how Thanksgiving started, what Americans consumed then and now, and how Americans across the country celebrate Thanksgiving.

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Follow @CreditDonkey or write to Andrew Green at andrew@creditdonkey.com