Random Turkey Facts
Who was the first President to pardon a turkey?
John F. Kennedy pardoned a turkey on November 19, 1963, stating "Let's Keep him going."
Who invented the green bean casserole?
Green bean casserole was invented by a Campbell Soup employee, Dorcas Reilly.
She was responsible for developing recipes for the backs of soup cans in the 1950s. Green bean casserole was her most successful dish.
True or False: Macy's was the first American department store to sponsor a parade in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday.
FALSE – Gimbel’s, a Philadelphia department store, was actually the first to sponsor a Thanksgiving parade in 1920. Macy’s followed suit four years later and soon became the parade associated with the Thanksgiving holiday. The Macy’s parade became even more popular following the 1947 movie, Miracle on 34th Street, which showed actual footage of the parade the year prior.
Gobble Gobble
"May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!" – Anonymous
Gain an additional 100 points! (200 pts total)
Where was the first Thanksgiving?
Plymouth, Massachusetts
Colonists and the Wampanoag tribe shared an autumn harvest feast in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts that is widely acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations.
Which President made turkey pardoning an annual event?
George H.W. Bush, it became a tradition (since carried on by all of Bush's successors) for the president to issue a ceremonial "pardon" to the turkey. It is a tradition that the turkeys be picked from the chairperson of the NTF's home state, occasionally from the chair's own farm.
What botanical family does the sweet potato belong to?
Sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family.
Potatoes like russets are members of the nightshade botanical family.
Yams are related to lilies and grasses and are mostly grow in tropical environments.
True or False: Abraham Lincoln was the first American president to declare Thanksgiving as a holiday.
FALSE – George Washington issued a proclamation to observe Thanksgiving to observe the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. James Madison also announced the observance of Thanksgiving in order to celebrate the end of the War of 1812. John Adams supported observing the holiday for general good fortune.
In “Miracle on 34th Street” which character is in charge of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
A. Doris Walker
B. Fred Galley
C. Granville Sawyer
A. Doris Walker
The story follows Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara,) a Macy's executive in charge of orchestrating the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Was Turkey served at the first Thanksgiving?
No. Venison, duck, goose, oysters, lobster, eel, and fish were likely served, alongside pumpkins and cranberries.
Turkeys are actually a type of __________.
Turkeys are actually a type of pheasant.
Gobble Gobble
“Even though we’re a week and a half away from Thanksgiving, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” —Richard Roeper
You loose 100 points this round (200 pts total)
Ture or False: The first Thanksgiving lasted three (3) days.
TRUE - The event that Americans commonly call the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. This feast lasted three days and was attended by 90 Wampanoag Native American people and 53 Pilgrims (survivors of the Mayflower).
Watching football on Thanksgiving day is an American tradition. Which of these teams does not regularly host a Thanksgiving game?
A. Detroit Lions
B. Dallas Cowboys
C. New England Patriots
C. New England Patriots
The NFL's Thanksgiving Day games have traditionally included one game hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and one game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966 (with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977).
Which president refused to recognize Thanksgiving?
Thomas Jefferson was famously the only Founding Father and early president who refused to declare days of thanksgiving and fasting in the United States.
How many feathers do mature turkeys have?
An adult (mature) turkey has 5,000 to 6,000 feathers.
On average, how many calories does one person consume at Thanksgiving?
The average person consumes an average of 3,000 calories at their Thanksgiving celebrations.
True or False: One of America’s founding fathers suggested the turkey, rather than the bald eagle, be the national U.S. bird.
TRUE – Benjamin Franklin, in 1784, suggested the wild turkey would be a more appropriate national bird, instead of the bald eagle, because, though silly and vain, turkeys are more respectable birds and are birds of courage.
The sitcom “Friends” always had great Thanksgiving episodes. In the second season, Monica gets a job making desserts made of what?
A. Fruitcakes
B. Mocholate, a synthetic chocolate
C. Turkey giblets
B. Mocholate, a synthetic chocolate
Mockolate: A term for an ingredient used as a chocolate substitute that contains cocoa solids but no cocoa butter. Cheaper than real chocolate, mockolate is sometimes found in inexpensive confections and baked goods, sometimes described as "chocolate-y coating" or "milk compound chocolate."
There are three (3) towns in the United States named “Turkey.” They can be found in Texas, Louisiana, and North ______.
There are three (3) towns in the United States named “Turkey.” They can be found in Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Each town has less than 500 residents.
Turkey, Texas / Turkey Creek, Louisiana / Turkey, North Carolina
In America, how many turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving Day?
46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving Day!
88% of Americans surveyed by the National Turkey Federation eat turkey on Thanksgiving. 46 million turkeys are eaten each Thanksgiving, 22 million on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter.
What is America's favorite side dish?
Stuffing is reportedly America's favorite Thanksgiving side dish, followed by mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and mac and cheese.
True or False: The Thanksgiving tradition of watching football on Thanksgiving day started in 1934 with the first National Football League (NFL) game that took place on the holiday.
FALSE – College football played on Thanksgiving has been a tradition since 1876. The NFL joined the tradition in 1934 when the Detroit Lions took on the Chicago Bears. The Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, with the exception of the World War II years, 1939-1944.
In “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” Snoopy serves up the feast. What’s for dinner?
A. Buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn, jelly beans and an ice cream sundae
B. Turkey and all the fixings
C. Pumpkin pie, turkey-flavored jelly beans and sweet potatoes
A. Buttered toast, pretzel sticks, popcorn, jelly beans and an ice cream sundae.
The full meal that Charlie, Snoopy and Woodstock throw together at the last minute includes buttered toast, pretzels, popcorn, jelly beans and ice cream. At the end of the TV special, Snoopy and Woodstock share a turkey Thanksgiving dinner.
How many turkey-cooking questions does Butterball answer each November and December?
Butterball's "Turkey Talk-Line" answers more than 100,000 turkey-cooking questions via their Butterball Turkey Hotline each November and December.
You can call the Turkey Talk-Line at 800-288-8372 (1-800-BUTTERBALL), send a text to 844-877-3456.