Thanksgiving in space: How Astronauts Celebrate the Holiday!"

The story of Thanksgiving is well known. Members of the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrims came together in 1621 to give thanks. More than 400 years later, the celebration is still going on, but now, it’s also an out-of-this-world event. Join me for a dive into Thanksgiving in space and how our astronauts celebrate Thanksgiving while orbiting Earth. And, of course, that brings me to this week’s puzzle—that crazy turkey who’s found his way into space! I hope you enjoy!

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Fifty years of cosmic Thanksgivings

The tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving in space dates back to November 22, 1973, when Skylab 4 astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue held the first-ever space Thanksgiving. Fast forward to today, and Thanksgiving in space is still a cherished tradition, marking its 50th year this year.

The big question is, how do astronauts feast on this day? Well, NASA ensures their astronauts don’t miss out on the holiday flavors by sending up specially packaged Thanksgiving dinners. This year, the menu includes delights such as turkey, duck, quail, seafood, pizza, hummus, and salsa, with sweet treats like chocolate and mochi for dessert. To wash it all down, they even have pumpkin spice cappuccinos – now that’s a Starbucks experience out of this world!

An international affair

Thanksgiving in space isn’t just an American affair. The International Space Station hosts astronauts from across the globe, making the holiday a truly international celebration of gratitude and camaraderie. This year, the Expedition 70 crew aboard the ISS celebrated Thanksgiving with turkeys delivered courtesy of SpaceX.

So there you have it! Thanks to some very creative minds, even astronauts are keeping traditions alive and celebrating Thanksgiving in their unique way, far away from home. It’s a reminder that no matter where we are, the spirit of gratitude and togetherness can always be celebrated. I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving (no matter where it was!). By the way, did you see last week’s Friday morning post and jigsaw puzzle? Use this link to go there now.