Turkey (animal)
What do turkeys and squirrels have in common?
Both turkeys and squirrels eat a diet high in acorns.
What soup company invented the green bean casserole?
Campbell’s Soup Company published a recipe for the casserole in 1955. It sharply
increased sales of their cream of mushroom soup.
What city has the busiest airport the week of Thanksgiving: Los Angeles, Atlanta, or Chicago?
Atlanta. It is expected that over 1.3 million people will pass through Atlanta
International Airport Thanksgiving week.
Plymouth, Massachusetts, has historically been credited as the site of the first Thanksgiving
feast. Historians have found records of an earlier Thanksgiving in another colony. What’s the
name of the colony?
Jamestown (now Virginia)
True or false: The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is always the busiest air travel day of the
year in the U.S.
Yes. According to TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the busiest air
travel days of the year are the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday
following the holiday.
Is turkey hunting more popular in Texas or Alabama?
Alabama. The state worked hard and succeeded in
restoring the dwindling numbers of wild turkeys. Now there are
two turkey hunting seasons in the state to manage the population.
People either love or hate what ingredient on sweet potatoes?
Marshmallows. Once considered very gourmet, marshmallows have since become
commonplace. Their popularity varies by region
Besides inspiring a hit Broadway musical, what founding father said, “No citizen of the U.S.
shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.”
Alexander Hamilton
What American president declared Thanksgiving a holiday?
Abraham Lincoln was so enthused to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday that
he decided it should be celebrated twice a year.
What is a turducken?
It is a turkey stuffed with a duck
Which can run faster, a wild turkey or a giraffe?
A giraffe can run 32 miles per hour. A wild turkey can run only 20 miles per hour.
What Thanksgiving side dish is the most popular?
Mashed potatoes are the most popular side dish on Thanksgiving, followed by
stuffing and rolls.
What frozen product did Swanson’s introduce to use up a post-Thanksgiving turkey surplus?
In 1953, Swanson’s created a frozen turkey dinner they called “Swanson TV Brand
Frozen Dinner.”
What months did Lincoln earmark for the Thanksgiving holiday?
Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a twice-yearly holiday to be celebrated in August and
November. Eventually, the August Thanksgiving faded away.
What is a tofurkey?
It is a vegetarian turkey, sold frozen and made from soy protein
What now extinct animal had a wishbone very similar to a turkey’s?
Tyrannosaurus rex had a wishbone, which is one reason scientists believe
dinosaurs and birds are closely related.
How can you tell if a cranberry is ripe?
A ripe cranberry will bounce like a rubber ball.
What were wishbones used to predict in the 1400s?
Wishbones, usually from geese, were used to predict the weather. Wishbones were
put in a cupboard to dry for several weeks. If they stayed white, it meant spring would arrive
early. A deep blue or black wishbone was a harbinger of a long, cold winter.
What president declared that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday
of November?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt decided Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in
November instead of the last Thursday in November.
New York hosts the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. What midwestern city hosts the
country’s second oldest Thanksgiving parade?
Detroit hosts America’s Parade, generally considered the second oldest
Thanksgiving Day parade. (There is debate over this, especially in Detroit, where some local
historians believe America’s Parade is older than the Macy’s parade.)
Do turkeys actually gobble?
Male turkeys gobble, while female turkeys only cluck.
What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?
There is no difference in the U.S. There are true yams in Asia and Africa that are
violet colored, very starchy, and grow up to five feet. The orange vegetable sometimes called
a yam in the U.S. is actually a soft sweet potato.
What founding father wrote that he would have preferred the turkey to the eagle as the
national bird?
Benjamin Franklin lobbied in favor of the turkey, writing, “Eagles are of poor moral
character. Turkeys are a more noble bird.”
The term “Black Friday” was originally coined to describe what event?
The Gold Crash of 1869. Later, it was used to describe the 1929 stock market
crash. The Philadelphia police started using the term with its current usage in the early
1960s. No one on the force wanted to work the day after Thanksgiving because of the traffic
jams and overcrowded sidewalks filled with shoppers, not to mention the thousands of
spectators attending the annual Army-Navy football game played that day.
There are two professional football teams that traditionally play games on Thanksgiving Day.
Can you name one or both of them?
The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys always play games on Thanksgiving Day