Event page! cca82b76f56b544592a7229c374ff0b6 tv-dinner-day
{
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"name": "TV Dinner Day",
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"National TV Dinner Day"
],
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{
"name": "National TV Dinner Day",
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"sources": [
"https://blog.thenibble.com/2011/09/09/food-holiday-national-tv-dinner-day/",
"https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58808/11-ready-digest-tidbits-about-tv-dinner",
"https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/100298379/type/dlg/https://www.newspapers.com/image/1127128141/",
"https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/100298379/type/dlg/https://www.newspapers.com/image/1139705009/",
"https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/100298379/type/dlg/https://www.newspapers.com/image/1284539262/",
"https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/100298379/type/dlg/https://www.newspapers.com/image/524359185/",
"https://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/tv-dinner-day",
"https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/335/tv-dinners-national-frozen-food-day/",
"https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/brief-history-tv-dinner-180976039/"
],
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"observed": "annually on September 10th",
"observed_html": "annually on <a href=\"https://www.checkiday.com/9/10\">September 10th</a>",
"observed_markdown": "annually on [September 10th](https://www.checkiday.com/9/10)",
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"text": "With the creation of the double-belt freezer, Clarence Birdseye developed a way to flash-freeze food in 1923, preserving its flavor and quality. \"Srato-Plates,\" frozen meals created by Maxson Food Systems for both military and civilian airline use, debuted in 1941, but didn't make the jump to grocery stores, in large part because the company's founder passed away not long after their creation. Similarly, FridgiDinners were created in the late 1940s to feed people in bars and taverns, but also didn't cross over to grocery stores. The opportunity for these types of meals in homes rose following World War II, a time when refrigerator-freezers became more widespread in American kitchens. In 1949, Frozen Dinners Inc. out of Pittsburgh sold frozen meals in aluminum trays with three compartments. In 1952, they expanded their reach to more of the East Coast. But it was in December 1953 that C.A. Swanson & Sons of Omaha, Nebraska, introduced TV Dinners, becoming the first nationally successful brand to sell prepackaged, frozen single-serving meals, and changing the way Americans ate dinner for decades. We celebrate these meals today with TV Dinner Day!\nFollowing either Thanksgiving 1952 or 1953 (accounts vary), Swanson was left with approximately 260 tons of leftover turkey, having overestimated how much they needed for the holiday. Swanson employee Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of putting turkey with gravy and cornbread dressing in a three-compartment aluminum tray along with peas and sweet potatoes. He also came up with the name \"TV Dinner,\" which Swanson trademarked. (Gerry Thomas's role is disputed by some, who claim the Swanson brothers or other people in the company created the TV Dinner.) These original TV Dinners often sold for 89 cents or 98 cents each. They were cooked in an oven in about 25 minutes, unlike the TV dinners of today that are usually cooked in a microwave. About 10 million Swanson TV Dinners were sold the first year.\nThe television industry spurred their sales. Television was growing in the 1950s: only 9 percent of American homes had one in 1950, but the number rose to 64 percent in 1955 and 87 percent in 1960. TVs were a status symbol, and the new meals were given their name to capitalize on it (even their box looked like a TV set). Most programming at the time of the release of the TV dinner was in the evening, when people would be eating dinner. The futuristic design of the aluminum trays also aligned with the futuristic fascination of the era (A Space Race was emerging, and the United States would go to the Moon in the next decade, after all.) The food wasn't great, but it was convenient and futuristic. TV dinners became a must for busy families, bachelors, and those who didn't cook. They predated but set the groundwork for the rise of feminism in the 1960s, freeing women to use time to pursue other endeavors beyond cooking dinner.\nSwanson added desserts in 1960, including brownies and apple cobbler. They took the name \"TV Dinner\" off the packaging in 1962 because they thought that it might discourage people from eating the meals at times besides when they were watching television. Banquet TV dinners came on the heels of Swanson's. Other early brands of TV dinners included Morton and Libbyland, a brand geared towards children. Swanson debuted a TV dinner with larger portions sizes, the Hungry-Man, in 1973; Banquet soon followed with the Man-Pleaser. In the decades that followed the first TV Dinner in 1953, companies expanded what was available for the palates of consumers by selling dinners of fried chicken, spaghetti, Salisbury steak, pizza, and more.\nMicrowave-safe trays were invented by the Campbell Soup Company in 1986, and the aluminum trays in TV dinners were replaced with plastic ones. Marketing in the decade portrayed TV dinners less as something eaten by overstressed, overworked, and time-strapped folks, and more as being like any other home-cooked meals, leading consumers to ask, \"what's the difference?\" One of the trays from the original Swanson TV Dinners has been on display at the National Museum of American History since 1987. Pinnacle Foods discontinued Swanson dinners in 2010, but ConAgra brought the brand back in 2018. Today, names like \"microwave meals\" and \"frozen meals\" encompass TV dinners as well as meals that don't fit in three-compartment trays. Whatever TV dinners are called, they are celebrated and enjoyed today on TV Dinner Day!",
"html": "<p>With the creation of the double-belt freezer, Clarence Birdseye developed a way to flash-freeze food in 1923, preserving its flavor and quality. \"Srato-Plates,\" frozen meals created by Maxson Food Systems for both military and civilian airline use, debuted in 1941, but didn't make the jump to grocery stores, in large part because the company's founder passed away not long after their creation. Similarly, FridgiDinners were created in the late 1940s to feed people in bars and taverns, but also didn't cross over to grocery stores. The opportunity for these types of meals in homes rose following World War II, a time when refrigerator-freezers became more widespread in American kitchens. In 1949, Frozen Dinners Inc. out of Pittsburgh sold frozen meals in aluminum trays with three compartments. In 1952, they expanded their reach to more of the East Coast. But it was in December 1953 that C.A. Swanson & Sons of Omaha, Nebraska, introduced TV Dinners, becoming the first nationally successful brand to sell prepackaged, frozen single-serving meals, and changing the way Americans ate dinner for decades. We celebrate these meals today with TV Dinner Day!</p>\n<p>Following either Thanksgiving 1952 or 1953 (accounts vary), Swanson was left with approximately 260 tons of leftover turkey, having overestimated how much they needed for the holiday. Swanson employee Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of putting turkey with gravy and cornbread dressing in a three-compartment aluminum tray along with peas and sweet potatoes. He also came up with the name \"TV Dinner,\" which Swanson trademarked. (Gerry Thomas's role is disputed by some, who claim the Swanson brothers or other people in the company created the TV Dinner.) These original TV Dinners often sold for 89 cents or 98 cents each. They were cooked in an oven in about 25 minutes, unlike the TV dinners of today that are usually cooked in a microwave. About 10 million Swanson TV Dinners were sold the first year.</p>\n<p>The television industry spurred their sales. Television was growing in the 1950s: only 9 percent of American homes had one in 1950, but the number rose to 64 percent in 1955 and 87 percent in 1960. TVs were a status symbol, and the new meals were given their name to capitalize on it (even <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/Retrovision/posts/71-years-ago-today-april-6-1954-the-first-tv-dinner-was-put-on-sale-by-swanson-a/1117532760408282/\">their box looked like a TV set</a>). Most programming at the time of the release of the TV dinner was in the evening, when people would be eating dinner. The futuristic design of the aluminum trays also aligned with the futuristic fascination of the era (A Space Race was emerging, and the United States would <a href=\"https://www.checkiday.com/5e602c1cd3bd2458ccb27580f69f6607/moon-day\">go to the Moon</a> in the next decade, after all.) The food wasn't great, but it was convenient and futuristic. TV dinners became a must for busy families, bachelors, and those who didn't cook. They predated but set the groundwork for the rise of feminism in the 1960s, freeing women to use time to pursue other endeavors beyond cooking dinner.</p>\n<p>Swanson added desserts in 1960, including brownies and apple cobbler. They took the name \"TV Dinner\" off the packaging in 1962 because they thought that it might discourage people from eating the meals at times besides when they were watching television. Banquet TV dinners came on the heels of Swanson's. Other early brands of TV dinners included Morton and <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUqBvs562-c\">Libbyland, a brand geared towards children</a>. Swanson debuted a TV dinner with larger portions sizes, the Hungry-Man, in 1973; Banquet soon followed with the <a href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/retren/comments/175m34c/the_banquet_manpleaser_introduced_in_1973_and/\">Man-Pleaser</a>. In the decades that followed the first TV Dinner in 1953, companies expanded what was available for the palates of consumers by selling dinners of fried chicken, spaghetti, Salisbury steak, pizza, and more.</p>\n<p>Microwave-safe trays were invented by the Campbell Soup Company in 1986, and the aluminum trays in TV dinners were replaced with plastic ones. Marketing in the decade portrayed TV dinners less as something eaten by overstressed, overworked, and time-strapped folks, and more as being like any other home-cooked meals, leading consumers to ask, \"what's the difference?\" One of the trays from the original Swanson TV Dinners has been <a href=\"https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_741033\">on display at the National Museum of American History since 1987</a>. Pinnacle Foods discontinued Swanson dinners in 2010, but <a href=\"https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/swanson/dinners\">ConAgra brought the brand back</a> in 2018. Today, names like \"microwave meals\" and \"frozen meals\" encompass TV dinners as well as meals that don't fit in three-compartment trays. Whatever TV dinners are called, they are celebrated and enjoyed today on TV Dinner Day!</p>",
"markdown": "With the creation of the double-belt freezer, Clarence Birdseye developed a way to flash-freeze food in 1923, preserving its flavor and quality. \"Srato-Plates,\" frozen meals created by Maxson Food Systems for both military and civilian airline use, debuted in 1941, but didn't make the jump to grocery stores, in large part because the company's founder passed away not long after their creation. Similarly, FridgiDinners were created in the late 1940s to feed people in bars and taverns, but also didn't cross over to grocery stores. The opportunity for these types of meals in homes rose following World War II, a time when refrigerator-freezers became more widespread in American kitchens. In 1949, Frozen Dinners Inc. out of Pittsburgh sold frozen meals in aluminum trays with three compartments. In 1952, they expanded their reach to more of the East Coast. But it was in December 1953 that C.A. Swanson & Sons of Omaha, Nebraska, introduced TV Dinners, becoming the first nationally successful brand to sell prepackaged, frozen single-serving meals, and changing the way Americans ate dinner for decades. We celebrate these meals today with TV Dinner Day!\r\n\r\nFollowing either Thanksgiving 1952 or 1953 (accounts vary), Swanson was left with approximately 260 tons of leftover turkey, having overestimated how much they needed for the holiday. Swanson employee Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of putting turkey with gravy and cornbread dressing in a three-compartment aluminum tray along with peas and sweet potatoes. He also came up with the name \"TV Dinner,\" which Swanson trademarked. (Gerry Thomas's role is disputed by some, who claim the Swanson brothers or other people in the company created the TV Dinner.) These original TV Dinners often sold for 89 cents or 98 cents each. They were cooked in an oven in about 25 minutes, unlike the TV dinners of today that are usually cooked in a microwave. About 10 million Swanson TV Dinners were sold the first year.\r\n\r\nThe television industry spurred their sales. Television was growing in the 1950s: only 9 percent of American homes had one in 1950, but the number rose to 64 percent in 1955 and 87 percent in 1960. TVs were a status symbol, and the new meals were given their name to capitalize on it (even [their box looked like a TV set](https://www.facebook.com/Retrovision/posts/71-years-ago-today-april-6-1954-the-first-tv-dinner-was-put-on-sale-by-swanson-a/1117532760408282/)). Most programming at the time of the release of the TV dinner was in the evening, when people would be eating dinner. The futuristic design of the aluminum trays also aligned with the futuristic fascination of the era (A Space Race was emerging, and the United States would [go to the Moon](https://www.checkiday.com/5e602c1cd3bd2458ccb27580f69f6607/moon-day) in the next decade, after all.) The food wasn't great, but it was convenient and futuristic. TV dinners became a must for busy families, bachelors, and those who didn't cook. They predated but set the groundwork for the rise of feminism in the 1960s, freeing women to use time to pursue other endeavors beyond cooking dinner.\r\n\r\nSwanson added desserts in 1960, including brownies and apple cobbler. They took the name \"TV Dinner\" off the packaging in 1962 because they thought that it might discourage people from eating the meals at times besides when they were watching television. Banquet TV dinners came on the heels of Swanson's. Other early brands of TV dinners included Morton and [Libbyland, a brand geared towards children](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUqBvs562-c). Swanson debuted a TV dinner with larger portions sizes, the Hungry-Man, in 1973; Banquet soon followed with the [Man-Pleaser](https://www.reddit.com/r/retren/comments/175m34c/the_banquet_manpleaser_introduced_in_1973_and/). In the decades that followed the first TV Dinner in 1953, companies expanded what was available for the palates of consumers by selling dinners of fried chicken, spaghetti, Salisbury steak, pizza, and more.\r\n\r\nMicrowave-safe trays were invented by the Campbell Soup Company in 1986, and the aluminum trays in TV dinners were replaced with plastic ones. Marketing in the decade portrayed TV dinners less as something eaten by overstressed, overworked, and time-strapped folks, and more as being like any other home-cooked meals, leading consumers to ask, \"what's the difference?\" One of the trays from the original Swanson TV Dinners has been [on display at the National Museum of American History since 1987](https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_741033). Pinnacle Foods discontinued Swanson dinners in 2010, but [ConAgra brought the brand back](https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/swanson/dinners) in 2018. Today, names like \"microwave meals\" and \"frozen meals\" encompass TV dinners as well as meals that don't fit in three-compartment trays. Whatever TV dinners are called, they are celebrated and enjoyed today on TV Dinner Day!"
},
"how_to_observe": {
"text": "Have a TV dinner or two! Even better, have it for dinner while watching television! You could have one made by Swanson, the first company to make them, or another kind, such as Banquet or Hungry-Man. Kids may enjoy a Kid Cuisine, while those looking for something a bit more exquisite might appreciate a meal from Lazy Dog Dinners.",
"html": "<p>Have a TV dinner or two! Even better, have it for dinner while watching television! You could have one made by <a href=\"https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/swanson/dinners\">Swanson</a>, the first company to make them, or another kind, such as <a href=\"https://www.banquet.com/frozen-meals\">Banquet</a> or <a href=\"https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/hungry-man\">Hungry-Man</a>. Kids may enjoy a <a href=\"https://www.kidcuisine.com/\">Kid Cuisine</a>, while those looking for something a bit more exquisite might appreciate a meal from <a href=\"https://lazydogrestaurants.com/blogs/blog/tv-dinners\">Lazy Dog Dinners</a>.</p>",
"markdown": "Have a TV dinner or two! Even better, have it for dinner while watching television! You could have one made by [Swanson](https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/swanson/dinners), the first company to make them, or another kind, such as [Banquet](https://www.banquet.com/frozen-meals) or [Hungry-Man](https://www.conagrabrands.ca/en/brands/hungry-man). Kids may enjoy a [Kid Cuisine](https://www.kidcuisine.com/), while those looking for something a bit more exquisite might appreciate a meal from [Lazy Dog Dinners](https://lazydogrestaurants.com/blogs/blog/tv-dinners)."
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