Thanksgiving Fun Facts
When is Canadian Thanksgiving?
The second Monday in October
Where was the first thanksgiving held?
Plymouth, Mass.
This thanksgiving food is made from one of few fruits that are native only to North America.
Cranberry sauce
This is the most popular sporting game to watch on Thanksgiving.
Football
Name two ways to tell if your canned food items are NOT safe to eat:
Expiration date, dented/bulging can (botulism)
How many turkeys are prepared for Thanksgiving each year?
46 million
Name three proteins that were likely served at the first Thanksgiving.
Venison, wild fowl, cod, bass
Name 2 micronutrients found in sweet potatoes.
Vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin C
The name of the day after Thanksgiving that is the busiest shopping day of the year.
Black Friday
Name three ingredients used when making mashed potatoes.
Cream, butter, salt, potatoes, milk, herbs/spices (parsley, garlic, pepper, etc.)
This was the first president to pardon a turkey.
JFK
What time of year was the first Thanksgiving likely held?
Early fall, likely September (closer to actual harvest time)
This seasonal dessert contains high vitamin A, vitamin C, zinc, and potassium.
Pumpkin pie
What is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in America?
Stuffing
How long does it take a medium sized turkey to thaw?
Bonus (Double): Name two recommended ways to safely thaw food.
3.5 days
In the fridge or under cold, running water.
How much did the world’s most expensive Thanksgiving dinner on record cost?
$150k at NYC’s Old Homestead Steakhouse
What year was the first thanksgiving held?
1621
This antioxidant and carotenoid is found in pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and squash.
Beta-carotene (provitamin to Vitamin A)
This is done after carving the turkey and is said to bring good luck.
Breaking the wishbone
How long does it take to cook a 20# turkey?
4-5 hours
Name one traditional Thanksgiving food that was likely not served at the first Thanksgiving.
Sweet potatoes (tuberous roots had not yet been introduced from the Caribbean), mashed potatoes (regular potatoes had not yet been introduced from South America), gravy (no mills for flour), apple, pecan, or pumpkin pies.
This Native American tribe had the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims.
The Wampanoag
The amino acid in turkey that causes people to feel sleepy.
Tryptophan
How many millions of Americans traveled for Thanksgiving in 2021?
53 million
How long does it take to cook a 20# turkey?
Both flowering, but yams are monocot (one embryonic seed leaf) SP are dicot (2 embryonic seed leaf’s)
Yams are starchier and dryer, 95% of the 600 varieties are grown in Africa and they get much bigger (130 lb) than SP