U.S. Thanksgiving History
In 1863, this president proclaimed the national Thanksgiving holiday would be celebrated on the final Thursday in November.
Who is Abraham Lincoln?
This is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
What is Boston?
The world’s largest parade (and Kelsey’s favorite) is presented by this department store chain.
What is Macy’s?
The first Thanksgiving Day football game took place in this Pennsylvania city in 1869.
What is Philadelphia?
The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris which is native to this region of the world.
What is the Americas? (would also accept North America)
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October in this North American Country.
What is Canada?
These two U.S. states battle for the right to boast they were the site of “the first Thanksgiving”.
What are Massachusetts and Virginia?
Massachusetts is 1 of 6 states that make up the New England region. This is 1 of the other 5.
What is Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Connecticut?
Currently, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade begins near Central Park in Manhattan and ends at Macy’s Herald Square, the flagship store on this street.
What is 34th Street?
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have played region rivals the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thanksgiving weekend since 2011. This team played the Huskers through 2010.
What are the Colorado Buffaloes? (need state and team name!)
Though little evidence exists to confirm the legend, it is believed that this founding father lobbied for the turkey to be U.S. national bird, as opposed to the eagle – calling the eagle “a bird of bad moral character”.
Who is Benjamin Franklin?
The “Harvest Thanksgiving Festival” called “Erntedankfest” is celebrated on the first Sunday of October in this European country and has a significant religious component.
What is Germany?
One well-recorded event occurred in 1619 in Virginia when 38 settlers arrived from this country.
What is England?
This is the official state nickname.
What is The Bay State?
DAILY DOUBLE:
This city has held a Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1920. Originally presented by Gimbels, now co-sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts.
what is Philadelphia?
Unorganized groups partaking in informal matches on Thanksgiving are usually known as this.
What is a Turkey Bowl?
While the official presentation of a turkey to the President began in 1947, this U.S. president instituted the turkey pardon as a permanent part of the presentation beginning in 1989.
Who is George H. W. Bush?
“Labor Thanksgiving Day” (Kinro Kansha no Hi) is a national holiday in this Asian country and takes place annually on November 23rd.
What is Japan
A sparsely-document event occurred in this year at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts.
What is 1621? (would also accept 1623)
Both Democrats, these are the two current U.S. senators representing Massachusetts.
Who are Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey?
As a result of World War II, the parade was suspended from 1942 to this year.
What is 1944?
Thanksgiving football is credited with encouraging this region of the U.S., which had historically rejected the celebration of Thanksgiving, to embrace the holiday.
What is the South or Southern United States?
From 2005 to 2009, presidential pardoned turkeys traveled to Florida or California to serve as honorary grand marshals of this company’s Thanksgiving Day parade.
What is Disney?
This country celebrates Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, along with the United States.
What is Brazil?
On December 26 of this year, President Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress changing the national Thanksgiving Day to the fourth Thursday in November. (Two years earlier, FDR signed a presidential proclamation changing the holiday to the next to last Thursday in November for business reasons.)
What is 1941?
Massachusetts was the 6th state admitted to the Union on February 6th of this year.
What is 1788?
New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-sized balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or gusts exceed 35mph. This is the number of times parade balloons have ever been grounded.
What is once? (In 1971, though grounding was narrowly averted in 2019.)
DAILY DOUBLE:
One of the most notable collegiate games played on Thanksgiving Day itself took place in this year when top-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers scored a late touchdown to defeat the Oklahoma Sooners by four, 35-31.
What is 1971?
Turkeys have been known to be aggressive towards humans and pets. This town in Massachusetts recommends citizens be aggressive towards the turkeys, take step towards them, and not back down.
What is Brookline?
The number of countries that recognize “Thanksgiving” as a national holiday – this would not include countries that have similarly named holidays.
What is six? (U.S., Canada, Brazil, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia.)