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Thanksgiving Trivia Questions and Answers

40 Thanksgiving trivia questions with answers: the Mayflower, the Macy's parade, NFL games, food and Thanksgiving around the world.

40 questions · tap “Show answer” under each one · Answer key

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Round 1

  1. About how many passengers sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620?

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    About 100

    The usual count is 102 passengers, plus a crew of around 30. Source

  2. About how long did the Mayflower's crossing of the Atlantic take in 1620?

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    About two months

    The voyage took 66 days. Source

  3. Where did the Mayflower first drop anchor in November 1620?

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    At the tip of Cape Cod

    The spot is today's Provincetown, Massachusetts. Source

  4. Who was the captain, or master, of the Mayflower on its 1620 voyage?

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    Christopher Jones

    He sailed the ship back to England in 1621. Source

  5. Which Wampanoag leader came to the 1621 harvest feast with about 90 of his men?

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    Massasoit

    He was the sachem, or leader, of the Wampanoag. Source

  6. According to a letter by settler Edward Winslow, what did the Wampanoag guests bring to the 1621 feast?

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    Five deer

    His letter is one of only two accounts of the feast written at the time. Source

  7. Berkeley Plantation claims an earlier 'first Thanksgiving', held in 1619. In which state is it?

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    Virginia

    The settlers there were told to mark their arrival day every year. Source

  8. Which city's Thanksgiving parade, first held in 1920, is the oldest in the US?

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    Philadelphia

    A department store, Gimbels, started it. Source

  9. Which company made the Macy's parade's giant balloons from the 1920s until 1980?

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    Goodyear

    They were made in Akron, Ohio. Source

  10. Before the giant balloons, what did the first Macy's parades have instead?

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    Live zoo animals

    They came from the Central Park Zoo. Source

Round 2

  1. Who arrives at the very end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

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    Santa Claus

    His arrival marks the start of the Christmas shopping season. Source

  2. Which TV network has shown the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade across the US since 1953?

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    NBC

    The route runs about 2.5 miles through Manhattan. Source

  3. Where are the Macy's parade balloons blown up the night before the parade?

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    By the Natural History Museum

    Crowds come to watch the balloons take shape. Source

  4. Which 1947 film opens at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

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    Miracle on 34th Street

    The parade scenes were filmed at the real 1946 parade. Source

  5. Since 2006, how many NFL games are played on Thanksgiving Day?

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    Three

    The third game is played at night, with different teams each year. Source

  6. What is a turducken?

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    Chicken in a duck in a turkey

    The birds are boned before they're stuffed inside one another. Source

  7. What do many people in the American South call stuffing that's baked in a dish instead of inside the bird?

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    Dressing

    Southern dressing is often made with cornbread. Source

  8. Which company's test kitchen created green bean casserole in 1955?

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    Campbell's

    Dorcas Reilly made it with cream of mushroom soup and crispy fried onions. Source

  9. What is usually browned on top of a sweet potato casserole?

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    Marshmallows

    A marshmallow company printed the recipe in 1917 to sell more marshmallows. Source

  10. Which nut is the star of a classic Southern Thanksgiving pie?

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    Pecan

    Pecan trees are native to North America. Source

Round 3

  1. Why are cranberry bogs flooded at harvest time?

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    So the berries float up

    Each berry has small pockets of air inside. Source

  2. Where does the name 'cranberry' come from?

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    Its flower looks like a crane

    Early settlers called it the 'craneberry'. Source

  3. Which part of a roast turkey is white meat?

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    The breast

    Dark meat needs a higher temperature to cook through, which is why a fully cooked bird's breast can dry out. Source

  4. What is soaking a turkey in salty water before roasting it called?

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    Brining

    It adds flavor and helps the meat stay moist. Source

  5. Which company runs a Turkey Talk-Line that answers cooking questions every November?

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    Butterball

    It has been taking calls since 1981. Source

  6. What temperature should the thickest part of a cooked turkey reach, by US food-safety advice?

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    165°F

    That's about 74°C. Source

  7. About how long does a frozen turkey take to thaw in the fridge?

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    A day for every 4 to 5 pounds

    A big 20-pound bird needs four or five days. Source

  8. The turkey got its English name by being confused with which other bird, then brought into Europe through Turkey?

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    The guineafowl

    In England, guineafowl were known as 'turkey-cocks'. Source

  9. About how fast can a wild turkey run?

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    About 25 mph

    That's about 40 km/h. Source

  10. A male turkey's bare head can change color with its mood. Which colors can it show?

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    Red, white and blue

    The skin of the head and neck has no feathers. Source

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Round 4

  1. In 'Friends', what does Ross call the gravy-soaked slice of bread in his leftover Thanksgiving sandwich?

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    The Moist Maker

    His boss eats it, and Ross loses his temper. Source

  2. Which actor guest-starred in the 2001 Thanksgiving episode of 'Friends', 'The One with the Rumor'?

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    Brad Pitt

    He was married to Jennifer Aniston at the time. Source

  3. Which 1987 comedy follows Steve Martin and John Candy trying to get home for Thanksgiving?

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    Planes, Trains and Automobiles

    John Hughes wrote and directed it. Source

  4. In 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving', what do Snoopy and Woodstock help serve?

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    Toast, popcorn and jelly beans

    Pretzel sticks are on the menu too. Source

  5. Which 2013 animated film follows two turkeys who travel back in time to get turkey off the Thanksgiving menu?

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    Free Birds

    Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson voice the turkeys. Source

  6. Which country celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day on November 23?

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    Japan

    The day honors work and the people who do it. Source

  7. Chuseok, a harvest festival often called Thanksgiving, is celebrated in which country?

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    South Korea

    Families visit their hometowns and share rice cakes called songpyeon. Source

  8. What is the latest date in November that US Thanksgiving can fall on?

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    November 28

    The earliest it can be is November 22. Source

  9. What is a 'Friendsgiving'?

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    A holiday meal with friends

    It's often held on a weekend near Thanksgiving. Source

  10. Which online shopping day, named in 2005, comes right after the Thanksgiving weekend?

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    Cyber Monday

    It was named to get more people shopping online. Source

Answer key

Round 1

  1. About 100
  2. About two months
  3. At the tip of Cape Cod
  4. Christopher Jones
  5. Massasoit
  6. Five deer
  7. Virginia
  8. Philadelphia
  9. Goodyear
  10. Live zoo animals

Round 2

  1. Santa Claus
  2. NBC
  3. By the Natural History Museum
  4. Miracle on 34th Street
  5. Three
  6. Chicken in a duck in a turkey
  7. Dressing
  8. Campbell's
  9. Marshmallows
  10. Pecan

Round 3

  1. So the berries float up
  2. Its flower looks like a crane
  3. The breast
  4. Brining
  5. Butterball
  6. 165°F
  7. A day for every 4 to 5 pounds
  8. The guineafowl
  9. About 25 mph
  10. Red, white and blue

Round 4

  1. The Moist Maker
  2. Brad Pitt
  3. Planes, Trains and Automobiles
  4. Toast, popcorn and jelly beans
  5. Free Birds
  6. Japan
  7. South Korea
  8. November 28
  9. A holiday meal with friends
  10. Cyber Monday

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Sources

  1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower
  2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massasoit
  3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving (United States)
  4. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley Plantation
  5. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade
  6. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
  7. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle on 34th Street
  8. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL on Thanksgiving Day
  9. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken
  10. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuffing
  11. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green bean casserole
  12. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet potato casserole
  13. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan pie
  14. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry
  15. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey as food
  16. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterball
  17. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey (bird)
  18. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild turkey
  19. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends (season 5)
  20. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The One with the Rumor
  21. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planes, Trains and Automobiles
  22. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
  23. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free Birds
  24. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor Thanksgiving Day
  25. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok
  26. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendsgiving
  27. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber Monday

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