It was supposed to be a happy Thanksgiving for the Lions.
Detroit entered Thursday at 8–2 on the season and was a heavy favorite to take down the Packers in front of the home crowd at Ford Field.
Despite playing at home on the holiday every year, the Lions had not won a Thanksgiving game since 2016, but this time, it truly felt like it could be different.
But the bookmakers and analysts counted out one fact that more astrology-oriented fans put together before kickoff—the moon was in a waxing gibbous phase, and that spelled obvious, inescapable disaster for the Lions.
The Lions had a 37-45-2 record on Thanksgiving heading into this year’s home game against the Packers, but as one fan helpfully explained with a chart shared on social media, when Detroit plays on Thanksgiving and the moon is in its waxing gibbous phase, the Lions are winless dating to 1966.
i have bad news for the lions :(
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) November 22, 2023
since the afl/nfl merger, they are 0-12 (.000) on thanksgiving when the moon is in a waxing gibbous phase. tomorrow is a waxing gibbous pic.twitter.com/IlKqXH5cgr
While we might not fully understand what a waxing gibbous phase is, if someone asserts that supernatural forces are working against the Detroit Lions, we are inclined to believe them.
You can guess what happened next—the Lions absolutely flubbed their way through the game against Green Bay and lost 29-22. Another classic waxing gibbous Thanksgiving performance.
Across social media, fans had jokes, with some going as far as suggesting an attack on the moon.
When the book makers give you 7 and a hook on a waxing gibbous pic.twitter.com/MV6LXEbLN4
— Julio Menendez (@Julio_Econ) November 22, 2023
The moon writes the script
— Glob Dabolina 🐻🍯 (@GlobDabolina) November 23, 2023
I’ve had enough https://t.co/o4DiPxsnLa pic.twitter.com/uUmw0Mg6Yw
— Matt Clinton (@mdc9767) November 23, 2023
Lions fans the next time the moon is in a waxing gibbous phase on Thanksgiving https://t.co/3GEHenjU3j pic.twitter.com/ae2KYv3b1q
— Velodus 🎄☃️ (@velodus) November 23, 2023
enough is enough https://t.co/N5rTi9H9Gu pic.twitter.com/TivYo2ZHT8
— Mark Kim (@MarkJKim_) November 23, 2023
Luckily for the Lions next year, Thanksgiving is scheduled to take place while the moon is in a waning crescent phase.