Every year since 1934, the Detroit Lions have taken the field for a Thanksgiving game, no matter how bad their record has been. When this year's 4-6 squad squares off against the 9-1 Houston Texans, you might find yourself wondering why the Lions get the plum gig of playing a nationally televised game every Turkey Day. So what's the origin of Detroit's most beloved football tradition this side of the old "Fire Millen!" chants? And what about the other Thanksgiving NFL stalwart, the Dallas... READ ON

© Bettmann/CORBIS Each year before Thanksgiving, the President of the United States formally pardons a live turkey presented to him by the National Turkey Federation. It’s a tradition that’s seemingly been around forever, and while the NTF has been supplying the White House with holiday birds since the 1940s, the pardoning bit is actually a pretty new development. A lot of people point to Harry Truman as pardoning the first turkey in 1947, but the record keepers at the Truman Library can’t... READ ON

As your family gathers around the piano tomorrow to sing all of your favorite Thanksgiving songs (you know, like Adam Sandler’s “The Thanksgiving Song” and… “The Thanksgiving Song” remix…) don’t forget the most famous Thanksgiving song of all: “Jingle... READ ON

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we dug up some treasured holiday recipes from political eras past and present. Here are ten families’ rhetoric-free contributions to the holiday. © Louisa Gouliamaki/epa/Corbis 1. Mitt Romney’s favorite carrot soup. In 2007, Romney for President launched AnnRomney.com as part of the official campaign website. Though it’s now defunct, Mrs. Romney’s site included a section titled “Ann’s Recipes,” many of which were shared around the web, thus preserving... READ ON