Tag Archives: factoids

December Solstice Factoids!

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h5c_factoids_decembersolstice_blogpostHappy December Solstice!

Did you know that the December Solstice represents two different things depending on what hemisphere you’re located in! In the Northern Hemisphere it is known as the Winter Solstice, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is known as the Summer Solstice!

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice represents the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. While in the Southern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice represents the first day of summer and the longest day of the year! This is because the equinoxes and solstices are opposite on the opposite sides of the planet! How cool is that! Here are some more interesting facts about the December Solstice:

1. The sun on the December Solstice shines directly over the Tropic of Capricorn (latitude 23° 30′ South) in the Southern Hemisphere.

2. The December Solstice can occur from the dates of December 20-December 23, however falling on the 20th or the 23rd day of the month is extremely rare.

3. The last time the December Solstice fell on December 23rd was in the year 1903 and it will not happen again until the year 2303!

4. The term solstice comes from the Latin word solstitium, meaning ‘the Sun stands still’. During the December Solstice, the Sun reaches its most southern position as seen from Earth and appears to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn and then reverses its direction.

5. People tend to say that during the Winter Solstice the Earth is furthest from the Sun, however this is a MYTH! During the Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere is actually closest to the sun!

So what do you think? Are you excited for the December Solstice to mark either the first day of winter or the first day of summer depending on your geographic location? Comment in the conversation bubble located on the top right corner of your screen and let us know!

Thanksgiving Factoids!

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h5c_factoids_thanksgiving_blogpostHey High 5-ers, with Thanksgiving being celebrated in the United States today, what are your plans for the holiday weekend… besides playing Gobblers Gone Wild on High 5 Casino?

Did you know that in 2015, 46.9 million Americans traveled 50 miles or more over the Thanksgiving weekend? AAA estimates that tomorrow, 48.7 million Americans will travel to be with family and friends for the holiday. While you begin your preparations for your great feast, check out some Thanksgiving facts below:

1. The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621, however it did not become a holiday until 1863! It took over 200 years and a 17 year campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale, for President Lincoln to implement the holiday.

2.  Forks weren’t the only thing missing from the first Thanksgiving dinner shared between 90 Wampanoag Native Americans and 50 pilgrims…so were turkey, pumpkin pie and delicious cranberry sauce! Yes, that’s right turkey was not served at the first Thanksgiving and neither were pumpkin pies. Historians have reported that venison, ducks, geese, oysters, lobsters, eel and fish were mostly likely consumed at the first Thanksgiving along with raw cranberries and pumpkins. The Native Americans and pilgrims used spoons and knives to eat, as the fork wasn’t introduced until 10 years later!

3. Did you know that there are 6 major US States that produce the majority of pumpkins? The USDA reports that in 2015, Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York produced a combined 753.8 million pounds of pumpkins!

4. Over 50 million people tune their TV’s to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, are you one of them? Is watching the parade a tradition in your house? Here are some interesting facts!

  • The first Thanksgiving Day Parade was launched by employees of Macy’s in 1924 and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo!
  • The first balloon character to appear in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was Snoopy in 1927! Snoopy has appeared in the parade more than any other character and was designed by Tony Sarg!

5. After watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, do you turn on some football? This year marks 96 years since the first NFL Thanksgiving Day Football Game took place in 1920!

You can’t have Thanksgiving without a turkey, can you? Here are some interesting facts about turkeys:

  •  Turkeys are intelligent, sensitive and highly social animals that create lasting bonds with one another. A wild turkey has the ability to learn the precise details of an area over 1,000 acres in size!
  • A group of turkeys can be called several different things including: a “crop,” “dole,” “gang,” “posse,” and “rafter.”
  • A baby turkey is known as a “polut” or “chick”.
  • A young female turkey is called a “jenny” and a young male turkey is called a “jake”.
  • Did you know only male turkeys can gobble? To announce themselves to female turkeys, male turkeys gobble to assert their dominance.

What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Let us know by commenting in the conversation bubble on the top right hand corner of the page!

Slot Factoids!

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H5C_SlotFactoids_WallPostSlot Factoid is back! In the previous edition, we included some fascinating facts such as the number of slot machines and hotel rooms in Las Vegas and the cost of the first Jackpot Machine.

Today at High 5 Blog, we’ll continue sharing some interesting and important facts about slot machines with our slot lovers.

Fact #5 Slot machines didn’t always give out cash prizes!
Slot machines had become a fixture in several drinking establishments, and during Prohibition in the late 19th and early 20th century, alcohol and gambling were made illegal across the United States. This meant that in order to keep up with the time, Slot machines were “replaced” with fruit machines. These machines dispensed fruit candies and gum instead of cash prices. However, Speakeasies were not only places where patrons could enjoy alcohol illegally, they could also enjoy the original slot machines!

Fact 6# You’ll never believe this about the Las Vegas Strip!
Did you know that the Famous Las Vegas Strip is not located within the city limits of Las Vegas! The strip actually comes under the jurisdiction of Clark County!

What kind of facts would you like to know about on the next Slot Factoid blog? Comment in the conversation bubble located on the top right corner of this blog and let us know.