Traditions
What are the four colors typically associated with Thanksgiving?
Red, orange, yellow and brown
How long did the first Thanksgiving feast last?
3 days
In 1995, this popular Thanksgiving vegetable was the first to be grown in space.
Potato
True or false: Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday of the year.
Answer: False. The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is the busiest time for travel with upwards of 90 to 100 million Americans traveling during that time, according to AAA.
In 2023, which state raised the most turkeys?
Minnesota
According to Lending Tree, how many guests, on average, did Thanksgiving hosts expect to serve in 2023?
11
Where did the Pilgrims settle?
Plymouth, Mass
What three things are turkey giblets primarily comprised of?
The gizzard, heart, liver and neck
In the song “Frosty the Snowman,” what made Frosty come to life?
An old silk hat
What 2005 movie about a dysfunctional family Thanksgiving stars Sarah Jessica Parker?
The Family Stone
Which U.S. president was the first to officially pardon a turkey?
John F. Kennedy - However George W. Bush made it an annual tradition.
Which U.S. president didn't “believe” in Thanksgiving because he thought the holiday was too religious?
Thomas Jefferson
Do male or female turkeys gobble?
What Christmas decoration was originally made from strands of silver?
Tinsel
Which Peanuts character wears the chef hat in “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”?
Snoopy
Which U.S. Founding Father famously referred to turkeys as “a bird of courage”?
Ben Franklin
What notable Native American served as an interpreter between the Pilgrims and Native Americans?
Squanto
How many calories are in a typical holiday dinner?
3,000
Who played George Bailey in the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life?”
Jimmy Stewart
How many balloons were featured in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
25
How many approximately how many Pilgrims were at the first Thanksgiving harvest feast in 1621?
53
How many passengers were on the Mayflower?
102
How long can leftover turkey be stored?
Up to 4 days in the fridge.
What Christmas-themed ballet premiered in Saint Petersburg, Russia in 1892?
The Nutcracker
What year did “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” debut on television?
1973
Which retailer was the first to host a Thanksgiving Day parade?
Gimbels. The department store hosted a Thanksgiving Day parade in Philadelphia in 1920, four years before Macy’s held their first.
When was Thanksgiving declared a national celebration?
1789 (President George Washington designated November 26 as a Day of National Thanksgiving)
What was on the menu of the first Thanksgiving?
Venison, goose, duck, fish and porridge or bread made from corn
What phrase made popular in the book “A Christmas Carol” expresses annoyance with cheery holiday celebrations?
Bah humbug!
How much did the world's most expensive Thanksgiving dinner on record cost? (hint: hosted by a restaurant.)
$181,000 at New York City's Old Homestead Steakhouse, per Yahoo.
How many balloons were featured in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
25
What do Thanksgiving and the song "Mary Had A Little Lamb" have in common?
They were both created by the same woman — sort of.
Writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale convinced President Abraham Lincoln to officially declare Thanksgiving a national holiday after three decades of persistent lobbying. The author also founded the American Ladies Magazine, which promoted women's issues long before suffrage. She wrote countless articles and letters, advocating for Thanksgiving because she believed it would help unify the Northern and Southern states amid growing divisions. Hale kept at it, even after the Civil War broke out, and Lincoln actually wrote the proclamation just a week after her last letter in 1863, earning her the name the Mother of Thanksgiving.
Which state produces the most cranberries?
Wisconsin
What science fiction franchise had its own holiday television special in 1978?
Starwars
What do Marilyn Monroe, Meryl Streep, Matt Damon and Taylor Swift all have in common?
They are all descendents of passengers or crew on the Mayflower.
What city has the oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Philadelphia
How many women were at the very first Thanksgiving celebration?
5
How many turkeys are prepared for Thanksgiving in America each year?
46 million
In the TV special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” what three words best describe the Grinch?
Stink, stank, stunk
Black Friday is the biggest day of the year for what trade profession?
Plumbers
According to Americans, what's the best part of Thanksgiving?
The leftovers.
What food did the colonists and Native Americans not have at the first Thanksgiving?
Turkey
A Thanksgiving turkey mix-up inspired what popular meal trend?
Frozen TV dinners
In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered a colossal shipment of Thanksgiving turkeys (260 tons, to be exact). To deal with the excess, salesman Gerry Thomas took inspiration from the prepared foods served on airplanes. He came up with the idea of filling 5,000 aluminum trays with the turkey – along with cornbread dressing, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes to complete the offering. The 98-cent meals were a hit, especially with kids and increasingly busy households. Within a single year, over 10 million were sold and a whole industry was born.
What well-known Christmas carol became the first song ever broadcast from space in 1965?
Jingle Bells
Who was the first video-game character featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Sonic the Hedgehog