Thanksgiving Meals
True or False: Turkey was not the main dish in the original Thanksgiving meal.
True
While turkey is the front runner of Thanksgiving dishes today, the dinner guests at the first Thanksgiving dined on more local foods, including deer. Turkey was likely served, but it was not the main dish.
When did the first Thanksgiving football game take place?
a. 1916
b. 1888
c. 1900
d. 1876
d. 1876
The tradition of a football game being played on Thanksgiving began in 1876 with Princeton and Yale.
True or False: Canada celebrates Thanksgiving.
True
The Canadian Thanksgiving takes place in October.
When did the first Thanksgiving occur?
a. 1616
b. 1621
c. 1632
d. 1625
b. 1621
The Mayflower pilgrims founded the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts and had a three-day meal with the Wampanoag tribe in 1621.
True or False: There is a helpline that you can call for tips about cooking a turkey.
True
Each year, the Butterball Turkey Talkline receives about 100,000 calls with questions about how to best prepare a turkey. They even have a 24-hour text message line if you prefer that form of communication.
What is the average meal preparation time for Thanksgiving?
a. 9.6 hours
b. 10.5 hours
c. 15 hours
d. 12.3 hours
9.6 hours
When did the first Turkey trot take place?
a. 1921
b. 1896
c. 1888
d. 1912
b. 1896
The first turkey trot hosted only six participants. Taking place in 1896, the race was five miles long and was held in Buffalo, New York.
How many towns are there in the US with the name Turkey?
a. 6
b. 3
c. 5
d. 4
b. 3 towns
The towns are in Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina as of 2020.
When did Abraham Lincoln declare Thanksgiving to be a national holiday?
a. 1863
b. 1865
c. 1859
d. 1864
a. 1863
On October 3, 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving was to be a national holiday.
What happens to the turkeys that presidents pardon?
a. They are cooked anyways
b. They are sent to Disneyland and/or Disney World
c. They get to attend Thanksgiving dinner at the White House
d. They go to a sanctuary
Even though some of the turkeys have been sent to Disney, I found that most of them are sent to either research facilities or petting zoos after being pardoned.
What is the estimated number of turkeys that are prepared for Thanksgiving each year?
a. 52 million
b. 46 million
c. 39 million
d. 42 million
b. 46 million turkeys
What was the first year that the NFL joined in the Thanksgiving Day games?
a. 1920
b. 1932
c. 1914
d. 1938
a. 1920
The National Football League joined in on the tradition of a game being played on Thanksgiving Day in 1920. That game was between the Akron Pros and the Canton Bulldogs.
True or False: Male turkeys are called cacklers.
a. gobblers
b. cacklers
c.
d.
False
Female turkeys cackle. Only male turkeys actually gobble, which is why they are aptly named "gobblers".
True or False: Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was the first Thanksgiving Day parade.
False
While the Macy's parade is surely the most popular these days, the oldest goes to a department store parade in Philadelphia in 1920. The Philadelphia Gimbel Brothers Department Store put on a parade including only 50 people and 15 cars and ended with Santa on his sleigh to mark the coming Christmas season.
True or False: Australia celebrates Thanksgiving.
Which part of Australia celebrates Thanksgiving?
a. Melborne
b. Sydney
c. Norfolk Island
d. All of Australia
c. Norfolk Island
This is the only known area of Australia to celebrate Thanksgiving. The tradition started because American ships would stop at the island during the 1800s on their whaling trips.
What town in Connecticut postponed Thanksgiving in 1705 because thy couldn't make pumpkin pies?
a. Hartford
b. Shelton
c. Colchester
d. Danbury
c. Colchester
In 1705, the town of Colchester, Connecticut canceled Thanksgiving because they couldn't make pumpkin pies. The river had frozen over, leaving their import of liquid sugar inaccessible. The holiday ended up only being postponed for about a week.
Where was the turkey trot held that made the Guinness World record for the most runners in turkey costumes?
a. Chicago
b. New York City
c. Dallas
d. Los Angeles
c. Dallas
2011 Turkey Trot - The YMCA race held in Dallas, Texas that year broke the world record for most participants dressed as a turkey. A total of 661 runners donned feathered costumes to run the race.
True or False: Wine, beer, and whiskey are the most popular drinks to toast with on Thanksgiving.
True.
The most popular drinks to toast with on Thanksgiving are wine, beer and whiskey (in order of popularity).
Who was the first president to pardon a Thanksgiving turkey?
a. Franklin D. Roosevelt
b. Dwight D. Eisenhower
c. George H. W. Bush
d. Harry S. Truman
c. George H.W. Bush
The first year a president, (George H.W. Bush) officially pardoned a turkey.
True or False: The author of Mary Had a Little Lamb is also known as the Mother of Thanksgiving.
True
Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", was named the Mother of Thanksgiving after years of lobbying to make it a national holiday. Numerous letters finally paid off in 1863 when President Lincoln officially declared it a national holiday.
What is the estimated number of pumpkin pies consumed during Thanksgiving?
a. 50 million
b. 60 million
c. 45 million
d. 40 million
a. 50 million pumpkin pies
What two NFL teams have played the most Thanksgiving games?
a. San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears
b. Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs
c. Minnesota Vikings and Detroits Lions
d. Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys
d. Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions have played the most games on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions have played almost every Thanksgiving since 1934 and The Cowboys since 1966.
a. 18%
b. 21%
c. 27%
d. 31%
d. 31%
31% of Americans travel on Thanksgiving Day, and 47% of those travelers drive.
What U.S. president refused to declare Thanksgiving as a holiday each year?
a. John Tyler
b. Andrew Jackson
c. James Madison
d. Thomas Jefferson
d. Thomas Jefferson
Before Lincoln officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday, the president had to declare the holiday each year. Thomas Jefferson, however, refused to do so. He felt that the included prayer of the holiday violated the separation of church and state.
What Christmas song was originally meant to be sung on Thanksgiving?
a. White Christmas
b. Jingle Bells
c. Silent Night
d. Sleigh Ride
b. Jingle Bells
Written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and originally titled "One Horse Open Sleigh," "Jingle Bells" was meant to be sung on Thanksgiving, not Christmas. When it was reprinted in 1859, the title was officially changed and it was adopted as a predominantly Christmas tune.