Thanksgiving trivia with the answer and the fact behind it: history, the food, football, the parade, and easy ones for the kids table. Every answer was checked against a source. Host it from a phone with team scores, or print it.
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History (10)
In what year did the Mayflower carry the Pilgrims across the Atlantic?
Answer
1620
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, in September 1620 and anchored off Cape Cod that November. Source
Which president's 1863 proclamation set a national Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November?
Answer
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln's proclamation, dated October 3, 1863, called for observing the last Thursday of November. Source
Under a law signed in December 1941, Thanksgiving falls on which Thursday of November?
Answer
The fourth Thursday
Congress fixed the fourth Thursday after the 1939 date change, and Roosevelt signed it on December 26, 1941. Source
Which Wampanoag leader, also known as Ousamequin, made a peace treaty with Plymouth's colonists in 1621?
Answer
Massasoit
'Massasoit' is a title meaning 'Great Sachem'; the treaty with Plymouth was negotiated in March 1621. Source
Which Patuxet man, who had learned English after being kidnapped, helped Plymouth's colonists plant corn?
Answer
Tisquantum (Squanto)
Kidnapped in 1614 and taken to Spain, he later learned English in England; he interpreted and advised on planting corn with fish. Source
Which magazine editor, also author of 'Mary Had a Little Lamb', campaigned for a national Thanksgiving?
Answer
Sarah Josepha Hale
Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, campaigned from 1846 until her 1863 letter helped persuade Lincoln. Source
What nickname did FDR's earlier Thanksgiving date in 1939 earn?
Answer
Franksgiving
Roosevelt moved the holiday a week earlier, to November 23, to give a longer shopping season before Christmas. Source
According to Edward Winslow, about how many Wampanoag men came with their leader to the 1621 harvest celebration?
Answer
About 90
Winslow wrote that the Wampanoag leader came with 'some ninety men'. Source
Who was the longtime governor of Plymouth Colony and author of 'Of Plymouth Plantation'?
Answer
William Bradford
Bradford served as governor on and off from 1621 to 1657 and wrote a history of the colony. Source
Which president issued a national Thanksgiving proclamation in October 1789?
Answer
George Washington
Washington's proclamation of October 3, 1789, set Thursday, November 26 as a day of thanksgiving. Source
Food & feast (10)
Green bean casserole classically mixes green beans, crispy fried onions and which canned soup?
Answer
Cream of mushroom
Dorcas Reilly created green bean casserole at Campbell's in 1955. Source
Cranberry growers often flood their beds at harvest. What do the berries do in the water?
Answer
Float
Beds are flooded with 6 to 8 inches of water, a harvester knocks the berries off the vines, and they float. Source
What is the red, fleshy skin hanging from a turkey's throat and neck called?
Answer
The wattle
The wattle hangs from the throat and neck; the snood is the fleshy flap on the bill. Source
Per Edward Winslow's 1621 account, the Wampanoag guests went out and brought back five of what?
Answer
Deer
Winslow wrote that Massasoit's men killed five deer and gave them to the governor, the captain and others. Source
Per Edward Winslow, before the 1621 harvest celebration Plymouth's governor sent four men out to hunt what?
Answer
Fowl (birds)
Winslow wrote that the four men brought back enough fowl to feed the colony for almost a week. Source
In most U.S. grocery stores, what are the orange 'yams' usually?
Answer
Sweet potatoes
In the U.S., sweet potatoes, especially orange-fleshed ones, are often called yams; true yams are a different plant. Source
Which state grew about 59% of U.S. cranberries in 2021?
Answer
Wisconsin
Wisconsin produced 59% of the U.S. cranberry crop in 2021. Source
Per the USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture, which state harvested the most acres of pumpkins?
Answer
Illinois
Illinois harvested nearly 18,800 acres of pumpkins in 2022, about 19% of the U.S. total. Source
What is the scientific name for a bird's wishbone?
Answer
Furcula
The furcula is the forked wishbone found in most birds. Source
In what year did Butterball's Turkey Talk-Line start answering cooks' questions?
Answer
1981
In its first season, in 1981, six operators answered about 11,000 calls. Source
Football (10)
Which two NFL teams traditionally host games on Thanksgiving Day?
Answer
Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys
The Lions have hosted since 1934 and the Cowboys since 1966, apart from a few gap years for each. Source
TV analyst John Madden famously handed the Thanksgiving game's MVP what?
Answer
A turkey leg
Madden began awarding a turkey drumstick to the game's MVP in 1989; Reggie White was the first. Source
Since which year have the Dallas Cowboys hosted a Thanksgiving game almost every year?
Answer
1966
The Cowboys have hosted on Thanksgiving every year since 1966 except 1975 and 1977. Source
Since 2002, the Detroit Lions have played their Thanksgiving home games in which stadium?
Answer
Ford Field
Ford Field opened in Detroit in August 2002, with the Lions as its home team. Source
In which year did the NFL add a third Thanksgiving game, played at night?
Answer
2006
The prime-time Thanksgiving game began in 2006 on NFL Network and moved to NBC in 2012. Source
In which year did Amazon Prime Video add a 'Black Friday' NFL game, the day after Thanksgiving?
Answer
2023
A Black Friday afternoon game was added to Amazon Prime Video's Thursday Night Football package in 2023. Source
Why did the NFL play no Thanksgiving games from 1941 through 1944?
Answer
World War II
Games were played in 1939 and 1940, then paused from 1941 through 1944 because of World War II. Source
The Detroit Lions' first Thanksgiving game, in 1934, was against which team?
Answer
Chicago Bears
The Bears won 19-16; Lions owner George A. Richards also owned radio station WJR, which carried the game on the NBC Blue Network. Source
In the 1993 Thanksgiving game, which Cowboys player's blunder on a blocked field goal handed Miami a win?
Answer
Leon Lett
Lett touched the blocked kick, Miami recovered, and Pete Stoyanovich kicked the winning field goal for a 16-14 Dolphins win. Source
Thanksgiving football dates back to an annual series begun in 1876 between Yale and which school?
Answer
Princeton
Yale and Princeton began an annual Thanksgiving Day series in 1876. Source
The parade (10)
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ends at Macy's flagship store in which Manhattan square?
Answer
Herald Square
The parade finishes at Macy's flagship store in Herald Square. Source
Who arrives at the very end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Answer
Santa Claus
The parade always ends with Santa's arrival, marking the start of the holiday season. Source
Which classic 1947 film opens on the morning of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Answer
Miracle on 34th Street
Kris Kringle steps in for a drunk man playing Santa in the parade, and the story grows from there. Source
In what year did the first Macy's parade march through New York City?
Answer
1924
The first parade, on November 27, 1924, started at 145th Street in Harlem and ended at Herald Square. Source
Who mostly made up the marchers in Macy's first parade in 1924?
Answer
Macy's employees
Store employees marched dressed as clowns, cowboys and sword-wielding knights. Source
The 1924 Macy's parade featured live animals borrowed from where?
Answer
The Central Park Zoo
Bears, elephants, camels and monkeys from the Central Park Zoo marched; giant balloons later replaced them. Source
Which cartoon character became the first giant balloon in the Macy's parade, in 1927?
Answer
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat debuted in 1927, in a balloon designed by artist and puppeteer Tony Sarg. Source
What was Macy's first parade, in 1924, originally called?
Answer
Macy's Christmas Parade
It was a Christmas parade that ended with Santa crowned 'King of the Kiddies' at Macy's. Source
Why was the Macy's parade suspended from 1942 to 1944?
Answer
Rubber and helium were needed for WWII
Rubber and helium went to the war effort during World War II, so the parade paused for three years. Source
Since 1953, the Macy's parade has been televised nationally on which network?
Answer
NBC
NBC has carried the parade on national television since 1953. Source
For kids (10)
What is an adult male turkey called?
Answer
A tom (or gobbler)
Adult male turkeys are toms or gobblers; a young male is called a jake. Source
What is an adult female turkey called?
Answer
A hen
Female turkeys, like female chickens, are called hens. Source
What sound do male turkeys make when they show off?
Answer
Gobble
Displaying male turkeys make a gobbling call, which is why they're nicknamed gobblers. Source
Where do wild turkeys usually sleep at night?
Answer
Up in trees
Wild turkeys are fast fliers over short distances, and at dusk most roost high in trees for safety. Source
Each November, what does the U.S. president do with a turkey at the White House?
Answer
'Pardons' it so it isn't eaten
The National Turkey Federation presents the bird, and the president jokingly 'pardons' it. Source
The cornucopia, a horn-shaped basket overflowing with food, is also called what?
Answer
The horn of plenty
The idea comes from Greek myth, where it was called the horn of Amalthea. Source
In 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' (1973), who invites herself over for Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer
Peppermint Patty
Peppermint Patty's father is out of town, so she invites herself, then phones back to add Marcie and Franklin. Source
What is a baby turkey called?
Answer
A poult
A young turkey is a poult, sometimes also called a turkeyling. Source
In 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving', what does Snoopy serve the gang?
Answer
Toast and popcorn
Snoopy and Woodstock fix toast, popcorn, pretzel sticks and jelly beans for the meal. Source
Ben Franklin praised the turkey over the bald eagle in a 1784 letter to whom?
Answer
His daughter, Sarah Bache
It was a private letter; Franklin never publicly proposed the turkey as the national bird. Source
By the numbers (10)
Canadian Thanksgiving falls in which month?
Answer
October
Canada celebrates on the second Monday in October, a date Parliament fixed in 1957. Source
According to Edward Winslow, how many days did the 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth last?
Answer
Three
Winslow wrote that the colonists entertained and feasted Massasoit and his men for three days. Source
About what share of the Mayflower's passengers survived their first winter in New England?
Answer
About half
Only about half of the Pilgrims survived the first winter, and about half of the ship's crew died too. Source
Because Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of November, what is the earliest date it can fall on?
Answer
November 22
The fourth Thursday can land on any date from November 22 to November 28. Source
How many passengers sailed on the Mayflower's voyage to New England?
Answer
102
The 102 passengers crossed in about ten weeks and anchored off Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. Source
According to the FDA, what minimum internal temperature makes a turkey safe to eat?
Answer
165°F
Check the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast; stuffing should also reach 165°F. Source
How many Thursdays did November 1939 have, leading FDR to move Thanksgiving a week earlier?
Answer
Five
With five Thursdays, Roosevelt chose the fourth, November 23, instead of the last. Source
In what year did a president make the turkey 'pardon' a permanent part of the White House ceremony?
Answer
1989
George H. W. Bush made it permanent in 1989; Ronald Reagan had joked about pardoning a turkey in 1987. Source
For how many years did Sarah Josepha Hale campaign for a national Thanksgiving before Lincoln acted in 1863?
Answer
17
She began her campaign in 1846, and her 1863 letter helped persuade Lincoln. Source
In USDA's 2024 forecast, which state raised the most turkeys, about 33.5 million?
Answer
Minnesota
USDA's September 2024 report forecast 205 million U.S. turkeys, with Minnesota the largest producer at 33.5 million. Source
Questions
How do I play Thanksgiving trivia at the table?
Pick the rounds, type team names (one per side of the table works), and press Host the quiz. Read the question, show the answer, tap the teams that got it right. Keep it short: 15 to 20 questions between dinner and dessert.
Are there easy Thanksgiving trivia questions for kids?
Yes: the For kids round, and the Easy level in every round.