Thanksgiving Google Search Trends: History, Cooking Recipes And Turkey

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BY Judith Aparri Nov 28, 2015 12:20 PM EST

While people in the US will be gathering to reconnect, bond, eat and celebrate Thanksgiving, many turn to Google to plan the big meal, get cooking tips and more. Google gives the top searches and trends on gratitude day as also seen in Google Trends.

According to the search engine's managing editor on the search titan's official blog, people then turn to Google more to learn why Thanksgiving becomes what it is now - its origin, traditions and backstory. Questions like "What president made Thanksgiving a national holiday?" or "Why did the pilgrims celebrate the first Thanksgiving?"

According to CDA News, President George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving in 1789. Then, in the midst of the Civil War on October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincold proclaimed national Thanksgiving every final Thursday of November.

History said ancient Thanksgiving was a celebration after a good harvest. It started to become more significant when the Pilgrims or the people from Plymouth, England who settled in the US, celebrated with the locals after a long drought threatened their harvest. It was then their second Thanksgiving.

Food is still the centerpiece so Thanksgiving Google searches include food recipes like "cranberry relish," "peach cobbler," "mashed potatoes," "lasagna" and "beef stew."

Forty-nine out of 50 states searched for "stuffing," except North Carolina which goes for "sweet potatoes." For Thanksgiving cooking tips, many turn to Google for cooking tips like "How to cook spaghetti squash" or "how to boil eggs." Advanced cooking topics include searches like "What can I make ahead for Thanksgiving?" or the crucial "How do you make turkey gravy?"

It's Turkey Day so talking about the big bird, the one that tops is recipe question "How to cook a turkey?" or "How much do you cook per person?" The last question, of course, needs math, and more so with "How long to cook a turkey?" Though the usual method of cooking turkey is roasting, chefs across the country likewise search for tips on how to deep-fry or smoke the big bird.