Thanksgiving Day by the Numbers

The United States Census Bureau keeps tabs on all sorts of aspects about American life, and that includes the way we celebrate our holidays. The Census Bureau has released some interesting data about Thanksgiving Day in America. Below are figures included in a Census Bureau news release about the holiday adoringly dubbed "Turkey Day."

1.8 Billion

The nation's total wheat production in bushels during 2006. Wheat is an important ingredient for making such Thanksgiving staples as pie crust and bread. 30% of these 1.8 billion bushels of wheat were produced in North Dakota and Kansas.

1.6 Billion

The number of pounds of sweet potatoes produced by the predominate sweet-potato growing states in 2006. North Carolina leads the nation in production of sweet potatoes, growing 702 million pounds of the orange spud.

1 Billion

The number of pounds of pumpkins produced by the main pumpkin-growing states in 2006. Illinois, having grown 492 million pounds of pumpkins in 2006, led the nation's state-by-state pumpkin-production that year.

690 Million

The number of pounds of cranberries estimated to be produced in the United States in 2007. 390 million pounds of these cranberries will have been produced in Wisconsin alone. Massachusetts places second in cranberry production, putting forth 180 million pounds of the beloved berry.

272 Million

The early estimate on the number of turkeys America raised in 2007, representing an increase of 4 percent over the number of "gobble"-ers brought up in this nation in 2006.

46 Million

The estimated number of turkeys Minnesota should produce in 2007. This figure leads the state-to-state breakdown of turkey-growth in 2007, leading the nation in state-to-state turkey raising. North Carolina is estimated to place second in turkey production, raising 39 million in 2007.

841,820

Tons of planned production of snap (green) beans in the major snap-bean growing states for 2007. Of these states, Wisconsin has the largest contracted snap beans production, growing some 310,200 tons.

144,086