Foods
Traditions
Symbolism
Presidential
Football
Gobble Gobble
100

This is a common name for the vegan/ vegetarian/ non-meat version of turkey.

Tofurky 🦃

100

The day after Thanksgiving, as referred to by shoppers

Black Friday

100

A symbol of plenty, consisting of a goat's horn overflowing with flowers, fruit, and corn.

Cornucopia

100

This honest president first ordered Thanksgiving to be an annual, national holiday.

Abraham Lincoln

In 1863, President  Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, urging the nation to heal its wounds and restore “peace, harmony, tranquility and Union” (same year the Emancipation Proclamation was signed)

100

Thanksgiving football games were not played in the years 1941 to 1944 because of this worldwide event.

World War II

100

Only male turkeys make this sound, specifically during mating season.

Gobble!

200

This is the most popular Thanksgiving dessert

Pumpkin Pie 🥧

200

The part of the turkey that two people pull apart to see if their wish will be granted.

Wishbone

200

A special symbol of thanksgiving as Native Americans are believed to have taught the Pilgrims to grow these next to cornstalks.

Beans

200

This U.S. President was the first  to "pardon" a turkey.

John F Kennedy

In 1963, after being presented with a turkey complete with a sign that read "Good eating, Mr. President," Kennedy responded by saying, "We'll just let this one grow." Newspapers deemed the act a "presidential pardon."

200

This was the first year of a Thanksgiving NFL game (Canton Bulldogs vs. Akron Pros):

1902
1920
1936

1920

200

This is where wild turkeys sleep.

Trees.

Turkeys spend most of their time on the ground, but when it’s time to sleep, they fly up into trees to protect themselves from predators.

300

This traditional Thanksgiving vegetable is grown on every continent except Antarctica.

Corn 🌽

300

A race people run on Thanksgiving morning

Turkey trot

300

The first Thanksgiving meal did NOT include this, which has become a hallmark and symbol of contemporary Thanksgiving celebrations.

Pie

The Pilgrims had no oven and the Mayflower’s sugar supply had dwindled by the fall of 1621, so the meal allegedly did not feature pies, cakes, or other desserts.

300

This U.S. President made turkey pardoning an annual event.

George H.W. Bush

The formalities of pardoning a turkey gelled in 1989, when President George H.W. Bush, with animal rights activists picketing nearby, quipped, "But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone's dinner table, not this guy -- he's granted a Presidential pardon as of right now -- and allow him to live out his days on a children's farm not far from here.”

300

These two NFL teams play on Thanksgiving every year.

Detroit Lions & Dallas Cowboys

300

This state produces the most turkeys each year.

Minnesota

400

This is the best way to tell if a cranberry is ripe.

See if it bounces

400

Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on this day 🇨🇦

(Hint: It's also the same day as a national holiday in the U.S.)

 Second Monday in October 

400

The type of meat Native Americans allegedly brought to the first Thanksgiving

Deer (venison)

400

This U.S. President refused to celebrate Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

Thomas Jefferson

He opposed Thanksgiving because he considered declaring fasts or days of thanksgiving to be expressions of religion, and that he opposed them because they were remnants of Britain’s reign over the American colonies.

400

On November 11, 2022, the NFL announced that the Thanksgiving football games will be branded as what?

John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration

To honor the memory of football player, head coach, and sports commentator John Madden.

400

Female turkeys are called hens. This is what male turkeys are called.

Toms

500

This is the number of calories consumed on average per person on Thanksgiving dinner (within 500)

4,500

500

The number of turkeys consumed every year at Thanksgiving

~46 million

This accounts for ~50% of all turkeys sold in the US for the year.

500

The Native American/indigenous people of North America who are part of the "traditional" Thanksgiving story

Wampanoag tribe (People of the First Light)*

*Many historians argue against the romanticized story of the Wampanoag celebrating together with  colonists. Some say that there is no documentation of such an event.

500

This U.S. President declared two Thanksgivings in one year.

James Madison

Madison renewed the sporadic Thanksgiving tradition in 1814, after the close of the War of 1812. He declared the holiday twice in 1815, one in the spring (March 16) and one in the fall (Sep 9).

500

This is the only active NFL franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving

Jacksonville Jaguars

500

This is the name of the skin that hangs from a turkey's neck.

The wattle.

Wattles are an adaptive feature--On a hot day, the bare skin wattle helps release excess heat because birds don't sweat.