St. Louis Fed Offers Data, History Related to Thanksgiving, Christmas

ST. LOUIS ‑‑ From driving to shopping, and cranberries to turkey – and even why the Fed advised against giving gold one year for Christmas – the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has the holidays covered. FRED® and FRASER® offer data and a unique look at history surrounding the most wonderful time of the year.

FRED, or Federal Reserve Economic Data, aggregates data from dozens of sources and includes statistics related to travel, retail sales and more. FRASER, or Federal Reserve Archival System for Economic Research, includes historical documents related to Christmas messages, Thanksgiving feasts and more.

In FRED:

• Driving to grandmother’s house? See the total the miles driven by Americans each month
• Making your list and checking it twice? See the decline in toy prices
• Purchasing on your phone? See the growth in online shopping
• Shopping busy stores? See the downward trend in department store sales

In FRASER:

• Read about cranberries, which were considered “an article of prime necessity,” at Thanksgiving dinners in 1907.
• Talking turkey: Read about the poultry industry and the rise of turkey production in Virginia in the 1940s.
•  “A Christmas Present for the President” details politics around the creation of the Fed.
• See the 1920 “Merry Christmas” cable message from New York Fed President Benjamin Strong.
• A letter from the Federal Reserve Board warned against giving gold for Christmas after World War I.
•  “About Christmas Trees” is a historical look at the Christmas tree industry compiled in 1971.
• Multiple other historical items are related to holiday trade, Christmas cash and more.

For more information, visit fred.stlouisfed.org or fraser.stlouisfed.org. For media inquiries, contact Maria Hasenstab, at 314-444-8321 or maria.e.hasenstab@stls.frb.org.

FRED® and FRASER® are registered trademarks of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.