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Seven days of questions and answers

Thanksgiving Trivia Answers Archive

Review earlier daily rounds, reveal the correct answer, and use the short explanation to learn the fact behind each question. Page 10 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. Which U.S. president moved Thanksgiving up by one week in 1939, a decision that divided the nation?

    Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving from the last Thursday to the third Thursday of November 1939 to extend the holiday shopping period and help retailers during the Great Depression.

  2. Which type of apple is most commonly recommended for baking in Thanksgiving pies due to its ability to hold its shape?

    Answer: Granny Smith

    Granny Smith apples are favored for pies because their firm flesh and tart flavor hold up well during baking, maintaining distinct pieces rather than turning into applesauce, and their acidity balances the sweetness of pie filling.

  3. In which year did the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first take place in New York City?

    Answer: 1924

    The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 27, 1924, and was originally called the Macy's Christmas Parade, featuring floats, bands, and live animals from the Central Park Zoo.

  4. Which European nation's settlers in what is now the continental United States held a recorded thanksgiving observance that predates the 1621 Plymouth event?

    Answer: Spain

    Spanish settlers in St. Augustine, Florida, held a thanksgiving Mass and communal meal in September 1565, more than 50 years before the Plymouth harvest gathering.

  5. The wattle is a distinctive fleshy appendage found on which part of a turkey?

    Answer: The head and neck

    A turkey's wattle is the fleshy, wrinkled skin that hangs from the head and neck area, and along with the snood, is one of its most recognizable features.

Daily round

  1. What does it mean to "truss" a turkey before roasting?

    Answer: To tie the legs and wings close to the body with kitchen twine

    Trussing involves using kitchen twine to secure the legs against the body and tuck the wing tips under, which promotes more even cooking and a neater presentation of the finished bird.

  2. What is a turducken?

    Answer: A turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken

    A turducken is a layered dish where a deboned chicken is placed inside a deboned duck, which is then placed inside a deboned turkey and roasted as one piece.

  3. The giant balloon characters in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were first introduced in which year?

    Answer: 1927

    The first giant balloons appeared in the Macy's parade in 1927, replacing live animals from the Central Park Zoo that had been part of earlier processions.

  4. Which vegetable is in peak season during the North American autumn and is often served roasted or shredded at Thanksgiving?

    Answer: Brussels sprouts

    Brussels sprouts are a cool-weather crop that reaches peak flavor after the first autumn frost, making them a natural seasonal choice for Thanksgiving side dishes, especially when roasted or sautéed.

  5. Before Lincoln's 1863 proclamation, how were national days of thanksgiving typically established in the United States?

    Answer: By individual presidential proclamations for specific occasions

    Prior to 1863, presidents issued ad hoc Thanksgiving proclamations for particular events such as military victories or abundant harvests, rather than establishing a recurring annual observance.

Daily round

  1. Which squash variety, with its bell-like shape and sweet orange flesh, is especially popular for Thanksgiving soups and purées?

    Answer: Butternut squash

    Butternut squash has a smooth, dense, and sweet flesh that purées easily, making it a favorite for Thanksgiving soups, side dishes, and even pie fillings where a smooth, creamy texture is desired.

  2. Which method is considered safe for thawing a frozen turkey?

    Answer: Thawing in the refrigerator

    The USDA recommends thawing a frozen turkey in the refrigerator, allowing roughly 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of bird, because it keeps the turkey at a safe temperature throughout.

  3. Which crop is typically associated with harvest festivals in the American South, where Thanksgiving celebrations may include dishes like pecan pie and sweet potato casserole?

    Answer: Pecans

    Pecans are a signature crop of the American South and a key ingredient in many Southern Thanksgiving dishes, including the classic pecan pie made with the region's abundant harvest.

  4. What was the popular nickname given to the rescheduled Thanksgiving holiday of 1939?

    Answer: Franksgiving

    Critics of Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1939 Thanksgiving date change mockingly dubbed it "Franksgiving," blending the president's first name with the holiday.

  5. Which of the following U.S. presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations while the nation was engaged in a major war?

    Answer: James Madison

    James Madison issued Thanksgiving proclamations during the War of 1812, calling for national days of prayer and thanksgiving in both 1812 and 1815.

Daily round

  1. Which of the following best describes the shared civic purpose of Thanksgiving proclamations in both the United States and Canada?

    Answer: Declaring a day of national gratitude and reflection

    Thanksgiving proclamations in both nations have historically served to set aside a day for collective gratitude and reflection, inviting citizens to give thanks for blessings and prosperity.

  2. Which NFL team has played a game on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1934, making it the longest continuous Thanksgiving football tradition?

    Answer: Detroit Lions

    The Detroit Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving Day game every year since 1934, when team owner George A. Richards arranged the first matchup as a promotional event.

  3. The wild turkey, native to North America, is one of two species of turkey in the world. What is the other species?

    Answer: Ocellated turkey

    The Ocellated turkey is the second species of turkey, found primarily in the Yucatán Peninsula region of Mexico and parts of Central America, known for its eye-catching iridescent feathers.

  4. In which year did the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first take place in New York City?

    Answer: 1924

    The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was held on November 27, 1924, and was originally called the Macy's Christmas Parade, featuring floats, bands, and live animals from the Central Park Zoo.

  5. Cranberries are one of the few major commercial fruits native to which continent?

    Answer: North America

    The American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is native to North America and was used by Indigenous peoples long before European settlers incorporated it into harvest feasts.

Daily round

  1. What is the primary role of the "bloom" (gelatin) found in canned jellied cranberry sauce?

    Answer: It helps the sauce hold its molded cylinder shape after opening

    Jellied cranberry sauce contains pectin (naturally occurring in cranberries) that gels the sauce into its characteristic solid cylinder shape, allowing it to be sliced and served in rounds that retain their form on the plate.

  2. Homaro Cantu, a Chicago-based chef, gained attention for making a Thanksgiving turkey dish from what unconventional source?

    Answer: Insects

    Chef Homaro Cantu experimented with creating turkey-flavored dishes from insects like grasshoppers as part of his innovative approach to sustainable and alternative protein sources.

  3. What is the main nutritional characteristic that distinguishes dark meat from white meat in turkey?

    Answer: Dark meat has a higher myoglobin content from active muscles, giving it more iron and a darker color

    Turkeys use their legs and thighs more actively than their breast, resulting in higher concentrations of myoglobin—an oxygen-storing protein—in those muscles, which gives dark meat its color, richer flavor, and slightly higher iron content.

  4. The modern tradition of a U.S. president formally granting an annual turkey pardon became an established White House custom during which presidency?

    Answer: George H. W. Bush

    While earlier presidents occasionally spared turkeys, George H. W. Bush became the first to formally grant an official annual presidential turkey pardon in 1989.

  5. How long can refrigerated Thanksgiving leftovers typically be safely consumed before they should be discarded?

    Answer: 3 to 4 days

    Food safety guidelines recommend consuming refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days; after that, the risk of bacterial growth increases even under continuous refrigeration.

Daily round

  1. The giant balloon characters in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were first introduced in which year?

    Answer: 1927

    The first giant balloons appeared in the Macy's parade in 1927, replacing live animals from the Central Park Zoo that had been part of earlier processions.

  2. What is the most commonly served side dish at American Thanksgiving dinner tables, according to multiple consumer surveys?

    Answer: Mashed potatoes

    Mashed potatoes consistently rank as the most popular Thanksgiving side dish across numerous consumer surveys, appearing on the vast majority of American Thanksgiving tables.

  3. Which type of apple is most commonly recommended for baking in Thanksgiving pies due to its ability to hold its shape?

    Answer: Granny Smith

    Granny Smith apples are favored for pies because their firm flesh and tart flavor hold up well during baking, maintaining distinct pieces rather than turning into applesauce, and their acidity balances the sweetness of pie filling.

  4. What is a common food-safety reason to avoid washing a raw whole turkey before cooking?

    Answer: It can splash bacteria-laden water across kitchen surfaces

    Rinsing a raw turkey under the tap can cause bacteria on the surface to aerosolize and spread via splashing up to three feet around the sink, contaminating countertops, utensils, and other foods.

  5. Thanksgiving in Canada is celebrated on which date each year?

    Answer: The second Monday of October

    Canadian Thanksgiving is observed annually on the second Monday of October, earlier than the American date, partly because the northern harvest season concludes sooner.

Daily round

  1. Which autumn foliage pigment is responsible for the yellow and gold colors visible in maple and birch leaves during the Thanksgiving season?

    Answer: Carotenoid

    Carotenoids are the pigments that produce yellow, gold, and orange leaf colors in species like maples and birches during autumn, as they become unmasked when chlorophyll breaks down.

  2. Which fat is most commonly used in traditional flaky American pie crusts for Thanksgiving desserts?

    Answer: Butter or vegetable shortening

    American pie crusts rely on butter, vegetable shortening, or a combination of the two; the solid fat creates steam pockets during baking that separate the flour layers into a flaky texture.

  3. Which of the following U.S. presidents issued Thanksgiving proclamations while the nation was engaged in a major war?

    Answer: James Madison

    James Madison issued Thanksgiving proclamations during the War of 1812, calling for national days of prayer and thanksgiving in both 1812 and 1815.

  4. The first official national Thanksgiving holiday in Canada was proclaimed in which year?

    Answer: 1879

    Canada's first official national Thanksgiving was proclaimed on November 6, 1879, though the date has shifted several times before settling on the second Monday of October in 1957.

  5. In which New England state is the town of Plymouth, a common historical reference point in American Thanksgiving narratives, located?

    Answer: Massachusetts

    Plymouth, Massachusetts, was the site of the 1620 Pilgrim settlement and is referenced in many American Thanksgiving traditions, including Plymouth Rock as a symbolic landing spot.