Up & Coming Weekly

November 22, 2022

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 23 - 29, 2022 UCW 9 Consider these 13 gratifying Thanksgiving facts a STAFF REPORT anksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends and reflect on one's blessings. In anticipation, here are some interest- ing facts about the anksgiving celebra- tion that some may not know. 1. American anksgiving is largely modeled on a 17th century harvest feast shared by the English settlers and the Wampanoag tribe. 2. Canadians celebrate anksgiving on the second Monday of October. It is based on European harvest festivals. 3. e National Turkey Federation says around 45 million turkeys will be eaten on anksgiving, which equates to about 720 million pounds of turkey being consumed (with the average turkey size being 16 pounds). 4. e Butterball hotline answers roughly 100,000 calls every year on its turkey question hotline. 5. In 1953, the Swanson company overestimated the number of frozen turkeys it would sell for the holiday season by 26 tons. Rather than waste the meat, Swanson sliced it up, repackaged it and cre- ated the first frozen TV dinners. 6. anksgiving in America may be older than many recognize. While anksgiving is largely tied to the 17th century settlers, the National Parks Service says in 1565 Spanish settlers in St. Augustine (now Florida) celebrated by having a meal to which they invited the native Seloy tribe. e Spanish served pork stew, sea biscuits, red wine and gar- banzo beans. Some say the Seloy contributed turkey, venison and maize. 7. anksgiving didn't become a civic holiday until Abraham Lincoln made it one after the Civil War. anksgiving was declared a national holiday on October 20, 1864. 8. e Pilgrims did not refer to themselves as pil- grims. ey used the word separatists as they were separating themselves from a larger belief system. 9. In addition to Canada and the United States, Grenada, Liberia, the Philippines, Saint Lucia, and the Neth- erlands celebrate their own versions of anksgiving. 10. Each year, the American president pardons a turkey from slaughter on anksgiving. is tradition dates back to when Abraham Lincoln's son was upset that his family's turkey was going to be killed for anksgiving dinner. 11. According to the U.S. Calorie Con- trol Council, an average American may consume 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on anksgiving Day. 12. e Macy's anksgiving Day Parade is an annual tradition. People line the parade route in New York City or tune in to watch the parade on televi- sion. It originated in 1924 and the famed balloons were added in 1927. 13. Apple pie is the pie of choice for anksgiving, even though pumpkin pie is prevalent during this time of year. anksgiving is a popular holiday and serves as an intro to a celebratory season that runs through New Year's. Many traditions have been borne of the holiday, and it is a favorite time of year for many people and families. It has become a time to share in the spirit of gratitude. FEATURE As Americans prepare to hit the road for anksgiving, average gasoline prices will be at their highest seasonal level ever for the weekend according to GasBuddy, the leading fuel savings platform saving North American drivers the most money on gas. e national average is projected to stand at $3.68 on anksgiving Day — nearly 30¢ higher than last year, and over 20¢ higher than the pre- vious record of $3.44 set in 2012. But that won't slow many down, with 20% more Americans planning to hit the road this year. It has been a challenging year for drivers, breaking several records thanks to less global refining capacity, sanctions brought on by Rus- sia's war on Ukraine, and government energy policy. e number of Americans traveling over the weekend this year is up from 32% last year to 38%, a nearly 20% rise, with 62% of Americans not planning on road tripping for anksgiving. Twenty- one percent say they are choosing not to drive due to high fuel prices. "It has been a dizzying year at the pump, with mo- torists likely feeling nauseous not from the eggnog, but from the roller coaster ride at the pump with record gasoline prices earlier this year, which have fallen significantly since mid-summer," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "Americans, however, are proving that while we'll openly complain about high gas prices, most of us aren't deterred from taking to the highways to observe anksgiving with those that matter most to us, especially as precautions from the pandemic have eased." Travelers can expect Wednesday afternoon between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to be the busiest on the nation's highways, and on Friday between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Twenty-three percent of respondents to GasBuddy's anksgiving survey say they'll spend one to three hours in the car, compared to 2021, when most indicated they'd travel less than an hour away. While 21% say high fuel prices are impacting their travel, surprisingly fewer are citing high gas prices this year (46% vs. 51% in 2021) for impact- ing their travel plans. Seventy-three percent of Americans traveling won't be crossing state lines to do so. GasBuddy offers several money-saving tips for motorists on the road this holiday season: • Shop around for the best prices. e first gas station you see isn't always the cheapest and driving a few extra blocks can save drivers upwards of 30 cents per gallon. GasBuddy also offers a Search Along Route feature to help driv- ers plan stops on their road trip. • Pay with GasBuddy. A free payments service that offers up to 25 cents off per gallon on every fill-up at hundreds of thousands of gas stations nationwide. • Slow down on the road. Aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and hard braking can cost drivers hundreds of extra dol- lars per year in additional fuel consumption. • Watch out for state lines. Differences in taxes can cause big differences between states. If traveling through multiple states, check the GasBuddy app to fill up on the lower priced side. Editor's note: To obtain information presented in this article, GasBuddy analyzed 1,314 responses to its 2022 anksgiving Travel Survey from Nov. 5 to 9. GasBuddy is the leading fuel savings platform pro- viding North American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. For more information, visit www. gasbuddy.com. Holiday travelers face high gas prices a STAFF REPORT

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