10 Wild-but-True Facts about Thanksgiving Dinner

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The origins of Blackout Wednesday are...

blurred. Also known as "Black Wednesday" and "Drinksgiving," it refers to the night before Thanksgiving when most people, especially college students, head home for the holiday. It's popular among young adults because it's a time when they're back in their hometowns and can meet up with old high school friends.

That usually involves activities that promote binge drinking, as many bars and restaurants offer drink specials that day, on top of liquor store discounts. The term 'blackout' implies temporary memory loss from excessive alcohol consumption.

Blackout Wednesday also happens to be one of the worst travel days of the year, due to an elevated number of drunk driving instances.