Question 1

In what year was the "first Thanksgiving" held at Plymouth Colony?

Accepted Answer

1621. The harvest celebration in autumn 1621 lasted three days and was attended by about 50 Pilgrims and roughly 90 Wampanoag, including their leader Massasoit.

Question 2

What was the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620?

Accepted Answer

The Mayflower. The Mayflower carried 102 passengers from Plymouth, England across the Atlantic, landing first at Cape Cod before settling at Plymouth in modern-day Massachusetts.

Question 3

Which Native American man helped the Pilgrims learn to farm and fish, having previously been enslaved in Europe?

Accepted Answer

Squanto (Tisquantum). Squanto, a Patuxet man, had been kidnapped to Europe years earlier and learned English. He returned to find his people gone and served as translator and guide for the Pilgrims.

Question 4

Which US president officially proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863?

Accepted Answer

Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday during the Civil War, setting it for the last Thursday of November after a years-long campaign by writer Sarah Josepha Hale.

Question 5

Who was the editor and writer who campaigned for nearly 17 years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday?

Accepted Answer

Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book and author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", wrote countless editorials and letters to five US presidents before Lincoln finally agreed in 1863.

Question 6

Which president moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939, sparking controversy?

Accepted Answer

Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR moved Thanksgiving up a week to extend the Christmas shopping season during the Depression. The move was unpopular, and Congress made the fourth Thursday official by law in 1941.

Question 7

What was the main meat almost certainly served at the 1621 harvest feast, alongside venison?

Accepted Answer

Wildfowl (likely including duck, goose and turkey). Primary sources mention "fowl" and "venison". Wild turkey was abundant in the region, but duck, goose and other wildfowl were almost certainly part of the meal.

Question 8

How long did the original 1621 Thanksgiving celebration last?

Accepted Answer

Three days. The feast lasted approximately three days and included shooting demonstrations, games and shared meals between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.

Question 9

Is the popular claim that turkey makes you sleepy because of tryptophan actually true?

Accepted Answer

No (mostly a myth). Turkey contains tryptophan, but no more than chicken or beef. Post-Thanksgiving sleepiness is more likely caused by overeating carbohydrate-rich foods and alcohol.

Question 10

In a turkey, what causes the difference between white meat and dark meat?

Accepted Answer

Muscle type (fast-twitch vs slow-twitch fibers). Dark meat (legs and thighs) is rich in slow-twitch muscle fibers used for sustained activity like walking. White meat (breast) is fast-twitch, used for short bursts like flying.

Question 11

Cranberries are commercially harvested using what unusual technique?

Accepted Answer

Wet harvesting (flooding the bogs). Most US cranberries are wet-harvested. Bogs are flooded, machines knock berries loose, and the floating fruit is gathered. About 95 percent of US cranberries come from this method.

Question 12

In what year was the green bean casserole invented, and by what company?

Accepted Answer

1955, by Campbell Soup Company. Created by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup test kitchen in 1955, the recipe used pantry staples (cream of mushroom soup, green beans, fried onions) and became a Thanksgiving fixture.

Question 13

What is the regional difference between "stuffing" and "dressing"?

Accepted Answer

Stuffing is cooked inside the bird; dressing is cooked separately. The name also varies by region. "Dressing" is more common in the southern US, while "stuffing" is more common in the north, regardless of how it is actually cooked.

Question 14

Approximately how many turkeys are eaten in the US each Thanksgiving?

Accepted Answer

About 46 million. According to the National Turkey Federation, roughly 46 million turkeys are consumed in the US on Thanksgiving, with another 22 million on Christmas and 19 million at Easter.

Question 15

Pumpkin pie became a Thanksgiving staple thanks largely to which 19th-century writer?

Accepted Answer

Sarah Josepha Hale. Hale's 1827 novel "Northwood" includes a long Thanksgiving menu featuring pumpkin pie. Her recipe and writings helped enshrine the dish as a national holiday tradition.

Question 16

In which US state are most pumpkins grown commercially?

Accepted Answer

Illinois. Illinois produces about 80 percent of US commercial pumpkins, with most of them processed into canned pumpkin near the town of Morton, often called the "Pumpkin Capital of the World".

Question 17

In what year did the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade take place?

Accepted Answer

1924. The first parade was actually called the "Macy's Christmas Parade". It started in Harlem and ended at the Macy's flagship store at Herald Square.

Question 18

What featured in the very first Macy's parade instead of giant character balloons?

Accepted Answer

Real animals (from the Central Park Zoo). The first parades featured tigers, camels, elephants and bears from Central Park Zoo. The animals reportedly scared children, leading to a switch to balloons.

Question 19

In what year did the first giant character balloon appear in the Macy's parade?

Accepted Answer

1927. The first balloon was Felix the Cat. In the early years, balloons were released into the sky at the parade's end. Macy's offered a 100-dollar reward for any returned.

Question 20

Which NFL franchise has played a home game on Thanksgiving almost every year since 1934?

Accepted Answer

The Detroit Lions. Lions owner George Richards started the Thanksgiving tradition in 1934 to draw fans. Except for a hiatus during WWII (1939 to 1944), the Lions have hosted every Thanksgiving since.

Question 21

Which other NFL franchise has hosted a Thanksgiving game every year since 1966?

Accepted Answer

The Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys joined the Thanksgiving tradition in 1966 under general manager Tex Schramm, seeking national exposure. They have hosted every Thanksgiving since (except 1975 and 1977).

Question 22

Which TV network has broadcast the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1953?

Accepted Answer

NBC. NBC has been the official network broadcaster since 1953, though CBS has run its own unofficial parade coverage. Today the broadcast reaches around 25 million viewers.

Question 23

A third NFL Thanksgiving game (beyond Lions and Cowboys) was added permanently in what year?

Accepted Answer

2006. The NFL added a primetime Thanksgiving night game in 2006, originally broadcast on NFL Network and later on NBC. It rotates between teams unlike the Lions and Cowboys games.

Question 24

What is the name of the live performance held at Macy's Herald Square at the end of the parade each year?

Accepted Answer

Santa's arrival. The parade traditionally ends with Santa Claus arriving on a sleigh float, marking the official start of the Christmas shopping season. He has appeared in every Macy's parade since 1924.

Question 25

In what month does Canadian Thanksgiving take place?

Accepted Answer

October (the second Monday). Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday of October because Canada's harvest is earlier than the US. Canadian Thanksgiving was officially declared a holiday in 1879.

Question 26

What is the name of the German harvest thanksgiving festival?

Accepted Answer

Erntedankfest. Erntedankfest (literally "harvest thanks festival") is celebrated on the first Sunday of October. It is primarily a religious holiday featuring church processions and harvest crowns.

Question 27

What is the Korean harvest festival celebrated for three days each autumn?

Accepted Answer

Chuseok. Chuseok, sometimes called "Korean Thanksgiving", is one of Korea's largest holidays. Families gather to honor ancestors, share traditional songpyeon rice cakes and visit family graves.

Question 28

In which African country is Thanksgiving celebrated on the first Thursday of November, modeled after the US holiday?

Accepted Answer

Liberia. Liberia, founded in part by formerly enslaved Americans in the 19th century, adopted Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Liberian Thanksgiving often features roast chicken instead of turkey.

Question 29

What is the name of the traditional UK agricultural festival held early in the year to bless the start of farm work?

Accepted Answer

Plough Sunday. Plough Sunday is held on the first Sunday after Epiphany in some parts of the UK. Ploughs are brought to the church and blessed before the start of the agricultural year.

Question 30

What is the British autumn festival celebrated in September or October, often featuring a "Harvest Supper"?

Accepted Answer

Harvest Festival. Harvest Festival is held in churches across the UK around the time of the full moon nearest the autumn equinox. Congregations bring donations of food, traditionally distributed to those in need.

Question 31

What Japanese national holiday on November 23 originated as a harvest festival?

Accepted Answer

Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinro Kansha no Hi). The modern holiday celebrates labor and production. It evolved from Niinamesai, an ancient Shinto rice-harvest festival in which the Emperor offered the new harvest to the gods.

Question 32

In what month is Grenada's Thanksgiving Day celebrated, and what historical event does it mark?

Accepted Answer

October 25, marking the 1983 US-led intervention. Grenada celebrates Thanksgiving on October 25, the anniversary of the 1983 US-led operation that ousted the country's communist government. It is unrelated to the US harvest holiday.

Question 33

How many Thanksgiving-themed episodes did the sitcom "Friends" produce over its ten seasons?

Accepted Answer

Ten (one per season). Each season of "Friends" featured a Thanksgiving episode, including the famous "The One with the Rumor" guest-starring Brad Pitt and "The One with All the Thanksgivings" (the trifle).

Question 34

In "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving", what unconventional meal does Charlie Brown serve his friends?

Accepted Answer

Toast, popcorn, pretzels and jelly beans. The 1973 Peanuts special features Snoopy and Woodstock cooking up an improvised meal of toast, popcorn, pretzels and jelly beans, much to Peppermint Patty's dismay.

Question 35

In the 1987 John Hughes film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", what is the destination of the two main characters?

Accepted Answer

Chicago (for Thanksgiving). Steve Martin and John Candy star as two strangers trying to get home to Chicago for Thanksgiving after their flight is diverted. It is one of the few films set entirely around the holiday.

Question 36

What is the tradition called when two people pull apart the dried collarbone of a turkey to make a wish?

Accepted Answer

The wishbone tradition. The wishbone tradition dates back to the ancient Etruscans, who used chicken bones for divination. The Romans adopted it, and English settlers brought it to America using turkey wishbones.

Question 37

What is the name of the popular Thanksgiving morning running event held in many US cities?

Accepted Answer

Turkey Trot. The first Turkey Trot was held in Buffalo, New York in 1896. The annual race is one of the oldest continuously run footraces in the United States.

Question 38

Which US president began the modern tradition of officially "pardoning" a Thanksgiving turkey?

Accepted Answer

George H. W. Bush (1989). While previous presidents had spared individual turkeys, George H. W. Bush established the formal pardon ceremony in 1989. The pardoned turkeys typically retire to a farm.

Question 39

What song does Adam Sandler famously perform as a Thanksgiving tune?

Accepted Answer

The Thanksgiving Song. Sandler debuted "The Thanksgiving Song" on SNL Weekend Update in 1992. The mostly improvised song became a yearly tradition for the holiday.

Question 40

In which children's book do "Stuart Little" or "Cranberry Thanksgiving" preserve a beloved family cranberry bread recipe?

Accepted Answer

Cranberry Thanksgiving. The 1971 picture book by Wende and Harry Devlin features Maggie and her grandmother's secret cranberry bread recipe. The actual recipe is included in the book.

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