Happy Thanksgiving From All Of Us Here at ExpressTaxExempt!

On behalf of everyone at ExpressTaxExempt, I want to wish you a happy Thanksgiving! We’re grateful for all of our wonderful clients and their decisions to e-file their nonprofit returns with us.  

We also want to thank you for all of the work your organizations do for your respective communities. Nonprofits and other tax-exempt organizations are extremely important for community growth and success. They foster civic engagement as well as economic growth, benefitting every person in a given public. So, thanks for all you do!

Ways to celebrate

Of course, everyone loves eating their weight in turkey and pie on Thanksgiving, but there are so many other great ways to celebrate. Be sure to:

• Watch the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This classic celebration first took place in 1924 in New York City. It’s a three-hour event, so buckle in to see your favorite characters in giant balloon form.
• Break the wishbone! Everyone wants to be the one to break off the bigger side of the wishbone for the chance to make a Thanksgiving Day wish.
• Share what you’re thankful for with friends and family. The ultimate Thanksgiving activity. Before you dig in, take a second to go around the table and share what you’re thankful for.
• Watch a football game. American football is a classic Thanksgiving feature. This year, spend your day with the NFL watching the Buffalo Bills vs. the Detroit Lions, the New York Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys, and the New England Patriots vs. the Minnesota Vikings. You can also enjoy some college football with Mississippi State at Ole Miss.
• Run a turkey trot. Turkey trots are typically long-distance footraces held in many different places across the country. What better way to prepare for a huge meal than a healthy morning run?
• Watch a classic Thanksgiving film. Everyone loves a holiday film, and there are so many underappreciated Thanksgiving movies. My personal recommendation is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Turkey Trivia

Thanksgiving is a long-standing American tradition. See if you and your loved ones know the answers to these questions about the history of the holiday!

• Which American president made Thanksgiving a permanent national holiday?
  • Answer: After the Union Army’s victory at Gettysburg on October 3rd, 1863, Abraham Lincoln announced that the nation would celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26th, 1863. He had been urged to declare the holiday by author Sarah Josepha Hale, who penned the famous “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

• Which president attempted to move the date of Thanksgiving to the third Thursday in November?
  • Answer: During the Great Depression, retail sales were dwindling. President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to move the Thanksgiving holiday to one week earlier in order to extend the Christmas shopping season and bolster sales. This led to protests, and some declared the holiday “Franksgiving.”

• Which Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
  • Answer: In September 1621, around 50 surviving Mayflower passengers held a 3-day harvest celebration with the local Wampanoag tribe. This tradition was repeated at harvest time in the following years, and eventually became the Thanksgiving we know today.

• Where was the first Thanksgiving Day parade held?
  • Answer: In 1920, Gimbels Department Store held the first Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was four years before Macy’s held their first parade in New York City. 

• How many pumpkin pies are consumed on Thanksgiving Day?
  • Answer: It’s estimated that Americans eat 50 million pumpkin pies during the holiday. This is surprising considering Americans’ favorite pie is still apple pie.

• Who was the first president to pardon a turkey?
  • Answer: In 1963, John F. Kennedy was gifted a 40-pound turkey with a sign reading “GOOD EATING, MR. PRESIDENT!” around its neck. JFK famously stated, “Let’s keep him going.” In 1989, George H.W. Bush made the pardoning a yearly occurrence. 

Support over the holidays

Just like nonprofits serve their communities, ExpressTaxExempt is happy to serve our clients with a seamless, efficient e-filing program. 

ExpressTaxExempt recognizes all major holidays, but we’re still here to help if you need us! Our office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and November 25th. However, normal business hours will resume on Monday, November 28th.