Early Thanksgiving
What was the first Thanksgiving?
A harvest festival in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people
Who made Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Abraham Lincoln
What is the most popular meat served when not turkey?
Ham
Do male or female turkeys gobble?
Male
Only male turkeys, called “toms” or “gobblers,” make the gobbling sound. Females (hens) make clicking noises.
What dessert is commonly made from a large orange squash?
Pumpkin pie
What year did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?
1863
What is the name of the brown sauce made from turkey drippings?
Gravy
Can wild turkeys fly?
Yes
However, domestic turkeys often cannot fly because they are too heavy.
What popular Christmas song was originally intended to be a Thanksgiving song?
"Jingle Bells"
This song was written in 1857.
Which founding father called the turkey a “bird of courage?”
Benjamin Franklin
What year did the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade occur?
1924
It was originally called the Christmas Parade.
What is a baby turkey called?
A poult or a chick.
What vegetable was the first to be grown in space?
The potato
Which president moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November to boost holiday shopping?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
He did this in 1939, leading some to call it “Franksgiving.”
Which state produces the most cranberries?
Wisconsin
What is the fleshy flap of skin that hangs over a turkey’s beak called?
Which city hosts the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the U.S.?
Philadelphia
This parade has been going on since 1920, predating the famous Macy’s parade in New York.
Which two presidents are associated with “pardoning” a turkey?
Abraham Lincoln and George H.W. Bush
Lincoln is said to have done so for his son, while Bush was the first to formally do it in 1989.
About how many turkeys do Americans eat on Thanksgiving?
Between 45 to 46 million
Which U.S. state raises the most turkeys?
Minnesota
This state is known as the “Turkey Capital of the World.”
The tradition of breaking the wishbone comes from which ancient people?
The ancient Romans