(Carl James / Pixabay)

This year, don't head to your Thanksgiving gathering empty-handed. Take these wild turkey fun facts with you, and use them to fill awkward silences.

(WTTW News)

Thanksgiving travelers should expect to gobble up traffic over the next few days, with AAA forecasting 2.46 million vehicles to hit the roads in Illinois — some 60,000 more drivers than last year.

A plate of roasted turkey and gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots appears in Concord, N.H., on Oct. 2, 2012. (AP Photo / Matthew Mead, File)

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults (32%) who will celebrate Thanksgiving this year say turkey is their favorite dish in the holiday feast, according to a new poll. Stuffing or dressing (19%) and mashed potatoes (6%) come in second and third.

(Chicago Thanksgiving Parade)

The annual Chicago Thanksgiving Parade steps off for the 89th year on Thursday.

Anthony Michael Tamez and Nikki McDaid Barry appear on “Chicago Tonight” on Nov. 23, 2022.

Thanksgiving brings families and friends together across the country, but for many Native Americans it’s also recognized as the National Day of Mourning.

Canned pumpkin and graham cracker shell crusts are displayed at a Publix Supermarket, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021 in North Miami, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, File)

Americans are bracing for a costly Thanksgiving this year, with double-digit percent increases in the price of turkey, potatoes, stuffing, canned pumpkin and other staples.

In this Nov 18, 2020, file photo, motorists wait in long lines to take a coronavirus test in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

The delays are happening as the country braces for winter weather, flu season and holiday travel, all of which are expected to amplify a U.S. outbreak that has already swelled past 11.5 million cases and 250,000 deaths.

President Donald Trump greeting members of the military after speaking to members of the military during a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019, at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump paid a surprise Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan, where he announced the U.S. and the Taliban have been engaged in ongoing peace talks and said he believes the Taliban want a cease-fire.

This image released by NBC shows David Frei, left, and host John O'Hurley posing with a havanese dog at The National Dog Show in Philadelphia. The annual parade of pooches has become one of the highest-rated shows of Thanksgiving. (Bill McCay / NBC via AP)

Television traditions on Thanksgiving have usually involved the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and then hours of football, but in recent years, another has emerged: The National Dog Show.

(Cindy Shebley / Flickr)

Vintage holiday decor, helium balloons and a holiday train usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

President Donald Trump pardons Butter, the national Thanksgiving turkey, in the Rose Garden of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019, in Washington, as first lady Melania Trump watches. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
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President Donald Trump couldn’t resist riffing on the House impeachment inquiry Tuesday as he continued the tradition of pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey, generating holiday-season laughter at the expense of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff.

In this Nov. 21, 2018, file photo, travelers wait in long lines to pass through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport in Denver. (AP Photo / David Zalubowski, File)

A storm dumping heavy snow buried highways in Colorado and Wyoming Tuesday. Blizzard and wintry weather warnings extended into the Great Lakes states with the storm expected to bring high winds and snow to Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

(jennie-o / Flickr)

Thanksgiving’s so close you can almost taste it. In anticipation of the marathon day of eating, we asked local chefs, foodies and staff for their favorite Thanksgiving recipes. Dig in!

This Nov. 2, 2009, file photo shows a Thanksgiving turkey in Concord, New Hampshire. (AP Photo / Larry Crowe, File)

Go ahead and rinse your cranberries, potatoes and green beans. But food experts say don’t — repeat don’t — wash the turkey before popping it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day.

In this Nov. 21, 2018, file photo taken with a long exposure, traffic streaks across the John F. Kennedy Expressway at the start of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in Chicago. (AP Photo / Kiichiro Sato, File)

The Transportation Security Administration said Wednesday that it expects to screen more than 26.8 million passengers and airline crew members between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2. That would be a 4% increase over last year.

Holiday ornaments, right, and glühwein: a recipe for shopping success. (Glühwein photo by Kameron Sears)

Holiday markets, pop-up festivals, giant balloons, magic shows and indoor snow usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.