Thanksgiving Architecture
Universal Feasts + Built Environment
Thanksgiving Traditions
Food Meets Fun
Holiday Decor Meets Architecture
100

This room is also where architects place the “work triangle” between the stove, sink, and refrigerator.

The kitchen


100

A harvest table is long and rectangular—like this common architectural shape also used in floor plans and building layouts.

Rectangle
100

This meat is the most popular alternative to turkey on Thanksgiving.

Ham

100

This fruit is also used in soups, pies, and decorations.

Pumpkin 

100

Strings of lights hung across a living room form this shape used in bridge design for stability.

A triangle
200

Traditional Thanksgiving dinners take place in these homes associated with early settlers, known for timber framing and steep roofs.

Colonial houses

200

Many global celebrations include bread baked in these ovens, shaped similarly to this architectural structure from ancient Rome.

Domes

200

This day follows Thanksgiving when there are big sales and many people go shopping.

Black Friday

200

This common ___ is used to make tortillas, cornbread, and polenta

Corn

200

Holiday centerpieces look great on this architectural element between the kitchen and dining room in many open-concept homes.

Island or counter

300

A cornucopia resembles this architectural feature that also narrows toward one end—common on towers and chimneys.

flue or funnel

300

umpkin pies, mooncakes, and savory pies often bake inside this heat-resistant architectural material used worldwide—from brick ovens to pottery kilns.

Clay or ceramic

300

A race many people run on Thanksgiving morning.

Turkey Trot


300

Music and feasts are often held in buildings designed for dance and events, known by this name.

Hall or ballroom

300

Holiday garlands are often wrapped around this load-bearing element that supports ceilings and sometimes patios.

Column

400

People sit at this type of long, rectangular table, whose name also describes the layout of a medieval dining hall.

Banquet table


400

Holiday gatherings everywhere require one of these movable architectural elements, which comes in many styles such as folding, stacking, or dining.

Chairs

400

This is the year of the first Thanksgiving

1621

400

This spice, used in holiday dishes across the world, comes from the bark of a tree.

Cinnamon

400

Holiday stockings hang from this home feature, traditionally the heart of the home.

Fireplace or mantel

500

In 1789, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation—not far from this iconic neoclassical building that architects often cite as America’s most famous residence.

The White House

500

A tradition where people would break this specific part of a turkey, which was meant to promote patience and spending time with family

Wishbone

500

The annual Thanksgiving Day Parade concludes with the arrival of this person.

Santa Claus

500

This Italian word means “to fill,” and gives us the name for a famous pasta shape.

Ravioli

500

Many holiday markets in Europe are held inside or around these vaulted architectural structures formed by intersecting arches.

Cathedral or cloister

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