Just the Sides
For a smooth baked mac and cheese, this thickening paste is created first by cooking equal parts butter and flour together.
What is a roux?
This giant, bright red dog created by Norman Bridwell holds the record for the largest balloon by volume ever to appear in the parade.
Who is Clifford the Big Red Dog?
Author A.A. Milne wrote that this beloved, honey-loving bear character said, "Even though it's a very small thing, my heart is thankfulness."
Who is Winnie-the-Pooh?
This two-pronged bone is traditionally broken by two people for good luck after the Thanksgiving meal.
What is a wishbone?
Cranberry plants do not grow in water, though their beds are flooded at harvest time; they grow in wet, spongy earth called this.
What is a bog?
Invented in 1955 to help boost canned food sales, the iconic Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole requires this specific flavor of Campbell's condensed soup.
What is Cream of Mushroom?
Because the balloons are too massive to transport fully assembled, they are put together and painted inside a facility located in this neighboring state.
What is New Jersey?
This everyday, two-word phrase of appreciation actually originated as a shortening of the phrase "I think of you" or "I give you my thought."
What is "Thank you"?
Many families and friends kick off Thanksgiving morning with this informal, backyard version of football before the big meal.
What is a Turkey Bowl?
While often used interchangeably with cranberry sauce, this alternative term usually describes a raw, uncooked mixture of cranberries, sugar, and citrus.
What is cranberry relish?
Common on many Southern Thanksgiving tables, this side dish consists of slow-cooked dark leafy greens often simmered with smoked ham hocks.
What are collard greens?
This Peanuts character holds the all-time record for the most different balloon versions featured in the parade's history.
Who is Snoopy?
This nine-letter word is the state or quality of being thankful, and it shares its roots with the word "grateful."
What is gratitude?
This alternative name for stuffing is much more common in the Southern United States, even when it isn't cooked inside the bird.
What is dressing?
Cranberries are most famously known for helping to prevent or treat these common infections.
What are urinary tract infections (UTIs)?
A mainstay on Baltimore and mid-Atlantic Thanksgiving tables due to the area's German immigrant history, this sour side dish is often braised with apples and bacon.
What is sauerkraut?
In 1993, this iconic Sega mascot became the first-ever video game character to be transformed into a giant parade balloon.
Who is Sonic the Hedgehog?
This Christian practice of saying a short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving before a meal comes from a Latin word meaning "thanks."
What is saying grace?
Unlike mammals, turkeys don't have teeth; instead, they use this muscular organ filled with swallowed stones to grind up food.
What is a gizzard?
Ocean Spray introduced this famous first-ever blended juice product combining cranberries and apples in 1964.
What is Cran-Apple juice?
This specialized grate-and-plunger kitchen tool is used instead of a standard hand masher to give cooked potatoes an exceptionally smooth texture.
What is a potato ricer?
Since 1953, this major television network has held the official broadcasting rights to air the parade live across the United States.
What is NBC?
The title of this 2018 Ariana Grande hit became a widespread cultural catchphrase for moving on with gratitude.
What is "thank u, next"?
In 1953, an oversupply of 260 tons of leftover Thanksgiving turkeys led this food company to invent the very first "TV Dinner."
What is Swanson?
It's the natural substance found abundantly in cranberries that allows them to gel on their own when boiled with sugar.
What is pectin?