As preparations begin for Thanksgiving (or as it’s known in Quebec, Action de Grâce), you’re probably starting to dream of the delicious meal you’ll be cooking up with your family. Gravy, stuffing, and turkey… Oh my!

Preparing a scrumptious meal for your loved ones can be incredibly rewarding, even if Uncle Harry insists on carving the turkey and everyone goes into a “turkey coma” after their second helping. Speaking of turkey, here are some fun facts about the gobbler we have grown to love as a holiday staple…

1) Turkeys make a variety of different sounds such as “purrs,” “yelps,” and “kee-kees,” but the famous “gobble” call is only done by males during mating season.
2) Male turkeys are called “toms,” while females are called “hens.”
3) At Thanksgiving 2020, 2.5 million turkeys were purchased by Canadians.
4) Believe it or not, wild turkeys can not only fly, but they can reach up to 88 km/h!
5) You can tell a turkey’s emotions by the color of their heads. Colors can change from red to blue to white, depending on how excited or calm they are.
6) The long piece of skin that grows down from the bird’s forehead is called a “snood” while the fleshy growth under the throat is called a “wattle.”

When the meal is all said and done and everyone has gone home, you’ll have done yourself proud and earned the right to an extra slice of pumpkin pie, or perhaps a nap.

Note to self: If you want to avoid feeling sluggish after your meal, take smaller portions, pile on the veggies, and drink water instead of alcohol.