Thanksgiving, from the word itself, started as a celebration of giving thanks for the gifts or blessings of harvest. It has been one of the most awaited and popular holidays that people are always looking forward to every year. If you are one of the people who always anticipate Thanksgiving, then you are going to enjoy this trivia quiz that we’ve prepared for you!
We have compiled 50 exciting Thanksgiving trivia questions below, which will help you discover more about this gracious celebration. The knowledge that you will gain from these fun-filled trivia answers will make you realize how important it is to celebrate Thanksgiving – well, aside from the delicious turkey served at the table that will surely satisfy your stomach.
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Easy Thanksgiving Trivia Questions for Kids and Adults
Do turkeys actually gobble?
Answer: Not all of them. Only male turkeys actually gobble.
The reason why male turkeys are often referred to as “gobblers” is that they are the only ones that gobble. Female turkeys make a cackling sound instead.
How many women were present in the very first Thanksgiving celebration?
Answer: Five.
It is believed by historians that there were only five women who attended the first-ever Thanksgiving that was celebrated in 1621 over a three-day harvest festival.
What U.S. state produces the most turkeys?
Answer: Minnesota.
Minnesota produces around 40 million turkeys every year.
How long was the celebration of the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: Three days.
Historians considered the first Thanksgiving day to have taken place when the Mayflower pilgrims who founded the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts sat down for a three-day meal with the Wampanoag in October 1621.
How many towns in the United States were named Turkey?
Answer: Three.
There are three small towns with less than 500 residents, which possess the name Turkey. They are Turkey, Texas, Turkey, North Carolina, and Turkey Creek, Louisiana.
What city is home to the oldest Thanksgiving parade?
Answer: Philadelphia .
The Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, created by the Gimbel Brothers Department Store, was known as the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in America, which was first held in 1920.
What is the main part of a Thanksgiving meal?
Answer: Roasted turkey.
It is not surprising that roasted turkey is considered the main dish of a Thanksgiving meal, given the fact it was the favorite meat of the Europeans even before the Plymouth feast. It is also practical since it can serve a larger crowd.
When is the celebration of Thanksgiving in Canada?
Answer: On the second Monday of October.
Thanksgiving in Canada has been celebrated as a holiday every second Monday of November since 1957.
Where should the meat thermometer be put in turkeys?
Answer: Thighs.
The tip of the thermometer should be placed into the thick part of the thigh without touching the bone.
What is the day after Thanksgiving known as?
Answer: Black Friday.
The day following Thanksgiving is commonly known as Black Friday, which has become one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States.
What U.S. company sells the most turkeys for Thanksgiving?
Answer: Butterball.
According to the National Turkey Federation, Butterball is the biggest processor of turkeys in the United States.
What utensil was not used by the Pilgrims during their first Thanksgiving celebration?
Answer: Forks.
The Pilgrims did not use forks during their Thanksgiving celebration. Instead, they ate with spoons, knives, and their hands.
How many runners participated in America’s first turkey trot?
Answer: Six.
Six runners participated in the first-ever turkey trot and only four made it to the finish line.
Other than Black Friday, what is the holiday following Thanksgiving?
Answer: Native American Heritage Day.
Native American Heritage Day is a civil holiday observed on the day after Thanksgiving. It recognizes American Indians across the nation, celebrating the vibrant cultures, traditions, and heritages while honoring Native Americans’ contributions.
What city in Texas hosted a turkey trot that set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys?
Answer: Dallas.
In 2011, Dallas, Texas hosted a Turkey Trot, which set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys, having a total of 661 people who attended.
What event takes place at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts every Thanksgiving?
Answer: National Day of Mourning.
Since 1970, native Americans gather on Cole’s Hill every Thanksgiving, not to celebrate the Mayflower’s arrival but to commemorate a National Day of Mourning.
Which president made turkey pardoning an annual event?
Answer: President George H.W. Bush.
President George H.W. Bush instituted the turkey pardon as a permanent part of the presentation beginning his first year in office.
What Christmas song was originally written as a Thanksgiving song?
Answer: Jingle Bells.
The Christmas song, Jingle Bells, has been claimed to be originally written to be sung by a Sunday school choir for Thanksgiving.
How old is the Thanksgiving celebration?
Answer: 402 years .
A Thanksgiving celebration was first celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribesmen in 1621 and is still celebrated up until now, making it an American tradition for almost 402 years.
What city in Texas hosted a turkey trot that set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys?
Answer: Dallas.
In 2011, Dallas, Texas hosted a Turkey Trot, which set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as turkeys, having a total of 661 people who attended.
In what year did Adam Sandler release “The Thanksgiving Song”?
Answer: 1992.
In 1992, Adam Sandler’s “The Thanksgiving Song” was released. It became a hit, charting at #40 on the Adult Top 40 chart and #29 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1997.
Which city in Michigan ends Thanksgiving Day Parade with Santa Claus getting a key to the city?
Answer: Detroit.
At the end of the route of Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Santa Claus, the final participant of the parade, was given the key to the city of Detroit.
What is Australia’s only area to celebrate Thanksgiving?
Answer: Norfolk Island.
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Wednesday of November in Norfolk Island located in Australia.
What president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln.
In 1863, in the middle of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving day to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
Who is considered the godmother of Thanksgiving?
Answer: Sarah Josepha Buell Hale.
Sarah Josepha Buell Hale was a former editor of one of America’s most influential magazines, Godey’s Lady’s Book, who led a protracted campaign that ultimately led to both White House and Congressional declarations that made Thanksgiving an official national holiday.
Hard Thanksgiving Trivia Questions
When did the first-ever Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade happen?
Answer: November 27, 1924.
On the 27th of November 1924, at 9:00 in the morning, Macy’s gave the children of New York a special Thanksgiving treat led by police escort from the intersection of 145th street and Convent Avenue.
When did Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade have balloons for the first time?
Answer: 1927.
In 1927, the parade’s signature giant balloon was introduced, replacing live animals from the Central Park Zoo. The first-ever balloon in Macy’s parade was Felix the Cat.
Who was the first president to issue a ceremonial pardon to a turkey?
Answer: John F. Kennedy.
President John F. Kennedy was the first to spare a turkey on the 19th of November 1963.
How much did the world’s most expensive thanksgiving on record cost?
Answer: $181,000.
Located in Manhattan, New York, Old Homestead Steakhouse claims to serve the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner in the world, costing $181,000.
In Korea, what do you call the festival similar to Thanksgiving?
Answer: Chuseok.
Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day, is one of the most important holidays of the year. It is a three-day holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar on the full moon.
When and where was the first turkey trot?
Answer: In Buffalo, New York on 1896.
In 1896, Buffalo, New York hosted the first-ever YMCA Turkey Trot, which is also referred to as the first official road race in the United States, even older than the Boston Marathon.
What do you call the Japanese celebration of Thanksgiving?
Answer: Kinro Kansha no Hi.
Thanksgiving in Japanese is called Kinro Kansha no Hi. It formally means Labor Thanksgiving Day.
What were the meats served at the first-ever Thanksgiving celebration?
Answer: Venison, swan, duck, and goose.
Turkey wasn’t on the menu during the first Thanksgiving celebration. Meats like venison, swan, duck, and goose were likely served, together with some kinds of seafood such as fish, oysters, lobsters, and eels.
Which founding father of the United States once remarked “No person should abstain from having turkey on Thanksgiving day”?
Answer: Alexander Hamilton.
In a turkey-less Thanksgiving feast at the turn of the 19th century, founding father Alexander Hamilton once proclaimed, “No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving day”.
What is the number of average calories consumed during Thanksgiving?
Answer: 3,000 to 4,500 calories.
According to the estimates by the Calorie Control Council, Americans take in 3,000 to 4500 calories during their Thanksgiving celebrations.
When was the first Thanksgiving football game?
Answer: November 30, 1876.
On the 30th day of November 1876, Yale plays in the first-ever Thanksgiving football game, defeating Princeton 2-0. It took place in Hoboken, New Jersey, having nearly 1,000 attendees amidst the cold, rainy weather.
When was the first Thanksgiving NFL game?
Answer: 1920.
The National Football League was founded in 1920, and the same year, the league had its first Thanksgiving game. In that game, the Akron Pros won against the Canton Bulldogs 7-0.
Who was the first president to receive a ceremonial turkey from the National Turkey Federation?
Answer: Harry Truman.
Harry Truman is often said to have been the first to pardon, but it was not quite true. Though he was the first one to receive a turkey from the National Turkey Federation, he had it for dinner.
During which revolutionary war battle did troops celebrate Thanksgiving?
Answer: The Battle of Saratoga.
General George Washington also called for a day of Thanksgiving on the 18th of December 1777, as a celebration of the colonial army’s victory during the Battle of Saratoga.
Which president received a live raccoon as a Thanksgiving present?
Answer: Calvin Coolidge.
In November 1926, President Calvin Coolidge pardoned a live raccoon intended for his Thanksgiving dinner and adopted it as a pet – which he soon named Rebecca.
In what year was green bean casserole introduced to Thanksgiving dinners?
Answer: The 1960s.
Green bean casserole was originally marketed as an everyday side dish but became popular for Thanksgiving dinners in the 1960s after being placed in Campbell’s can label.
Which founding father of the United States once referred to turkey as a “bird of courage”?
Answer: Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin once remarked in a letter to his daughter that the turkey would be a better choice as America’s national symbol instead of the eagle, calling the turkey “a much respectable bird” and “a bird of courage” that “would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm with a red coat on”.
What Native American was honored at the first Thanksgiving celebration?
Answer: Squanto.
Squanto was honored during the first Thanksgiving feast for helping the settlers to survive. He served as their native interpreter and taught them how to catch eels and grow corn.
What movie made the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade popular?
Answer: Miracle on 34th Street.
The 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street, included footage of the 1946 Macy’s Thanksgiving Dy parade – making it popularly known nationwide.
When did the first national Thanksgiving Day take place?
Answer: November 26, 1789.
President George Washington declared the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26, 1789.
Who invented Thanksgiving cranberry sauce?
Answer: Marcus Urann.
Canned cranberry sauce was invented by a lawyer-turned-cranberry-grower named Marcus Urann in the early 20th century.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, how much does the heaviest turkey on record weigh?
Answer: 86 pounds.
According to Guinness, Tyson, the 86-pound gobbling turkey, holds the world record for the heaviest-dressed turkey and has been unmatched since 1989.
What New England town once canceled Thanksgiving for lack of pumpkin pie?
Answer: Colchester, Connecticut.
In 1705, Colchester, Connecticut was rumored to have postponed its Thanksgiving for a week because there weren’t enough molasses available to make pumpkin pies.
What Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
Answer: Wampanoag.
The remaining 50 Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving with roughly 90 Wampanoag tribesmen, who helped them survive the New World.
What German holiday is closely related to Thanksgiving?
Answer: Erntedankfest.
Erntedankfest, also known as Harvest Thanksgiving Festival, is an autumn harvest celebration in Germany, which is observed in September or October, depending on the region.
