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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 4 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. What type of harvest method is traditionally used for commercial cranberries?

    Answer: Wet harvesting by flooding bogs and floating the berries

    Most commercial cranberries are harvested by flooding the bogs, where air pockets inside the berries cause them to float, allowing them to be corralled and collected from the water surface.

  2. Which grain, commonly associated with harvest meals, was a dietary staple of the Wampanoag people long before European settlers arrived in New England?

    Answer: Corn

    Corn was a foundational crop for the Wampanoag and other Indigenous peoples of the Northeast, cultivated for food and used in numerous traditional dishes well before the arrival of European colonists.

  3. How much whole turkey per person is commonly recommended when planning a Thanksgiving meal?

    Answer: One and a half pounds per person

    The general guideline is to plan for one to one and a half pounds of whole turkey per person, which accounts for bone weight and provides reasonable portions plus leftovers.

  4. In the American South, which dish combining cornmeal and a liquid, often served alongside Thanksgiving meals, is known by the term 'cornbread dressing'?

    Answer: A baked stuffing made with cornbread

    Cornbread dressing is a Southern-style stuffing made with crumbled cornbread as the base instead of bread cubes, popular at Thanksgiving tables across the American South.

  5. What safety concern is most commonly associated with outdoor turkey fryers?

    Answer: The high volume of hot oil can overflow and ignite if the turkey is wet

    When a partially frozen or wet turkey is lowered into hot oil, the water rapidly vaporizes and expands, causing the oil to boil over and potentially ignite, leading to severe burns and structure fires.

Daily round

  1. Why is it recommended to let a roasted turkey rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving?

    Answer: To let the juices redistribute evenly throughout the meat fibers

    Resting gives the meat fibers time to relax and reabsorb the internal juices that were driven toward the center during cooking, resulting in moister slices when carved.

  2. During the 1939 Thanksgiving date controversy, approximately how many U.S. states chose to follow Roosevelt's revised earlier date?

    Answer: 23

    Only 23 of the 48 states adopted Roosevelt's earlier Thanksgiving date in 1939, while 23 kept the traditional last Thursday, creating a split that lasted through 1940.

  3. What is the function of a roasting rack when cooking a turkey in the oven?

    Answer: It elevates the turkey so hot air circulates underneath and the bottom does not boil in drippings

    A roasting rack lifts the turkey above the bottom of the pan, allowing ambient oven heat to reach the entire bird and preventing the underside from sitting in and steaming in its own juices, which promotes more even browning.

  4. The 1621 Plymouth harvest feast is believed to have occurred during which part of the calendar year?

    Answer: Early autumn

    The harvest celebration at Plymouth in 1621 most likely took place in September or early October, aligning with the completion of the New England harvest season.

  5. What is the main purpose of brining a turkey before roasting?

    Answer: To increase moisture retention and enhance seasoning penetration

    A wet or dry brine dissolves some of the turkey's muscle proteins, allowing the meat to retain more moisture during cooking while also carrying salt and aromatics deeper into the flesh.

Daily round

  1. Which of these Thanksgiving side dishes is most associated with the Midwestern United States?

    Answer: Green bean casserole

    Green bean casserole became a widespread American staple especially in the Midwest, where Campbell's cream of mushroom soup was a pantry staple and the dish offered a convenient, economical way to feed a crowd.

  2. Which country celebrates Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November and traces the holiday to a 1969 decision by the late president to rename the National Day?

    Answer: Liberia

    Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November, a tradition originating from the country's founding by freed American slaves who adapted the American holiday.

  3. Which herb is most traditionally paired with roasted turkey in American Thanksgiving cooking?

    Answer: Sage

    Sage has a long association with poultry stuffing and turkey in American cooking, its earthy, slightly peppery flavor complementing the mildness of turkey meat in a way that became standard over centuries of tradition.

  4. Which sport became widely associated with Thanksgiving Day in the United States beginning in the 1920s?

    Answer: College football

    College football games on Thanksgiving Day became a widespread American tradition by the 1920s, well before the NFL began its own annual Thanksgiving matchups in 1934.

  5. Which president's 1863 proclamation is widely credited with establishing Thanksgiving as a regular annual U.S. holiday?

    Answer: Abraham Lincoln

    Abraham Lincoln issued a Thanksgiving proclamation in October 1863, during the Civil War, designating the last Thursday of November as a national day of gratitude.

Daily round

  1. What is the approximate weight range of a commercially raised Broad Breasted White turkey commonly served at American Thanksgiving dinners?

    Answer: 15 to 25 pounds

    Most commercially raised Broad Breasted White turkeys sold for Thanksgiving dinners weigh between 15 and 25 pounds, providing enough meat for a typical family gathering.

  2. 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.

  3. What is a gravy separator designed to do?

    Answer: Remove fat from pan drippings by letting it rise to the top

    A gravy separator is a pitcher with a spout at its base; after resting, the fat rises to the top and the cook pours off the lean juices from the bottom, producing a less greasy gravy.

  4. From 1921 to 1931, the Canadian holiday Armistice Day shared its observance with Thanksgiving before being separated into which two distinct holidays?

    Answer: Thanksgiving and Remembrance Day

    Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were observed together on November 11 from 1921 until 1931, when they were separated into Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving on different dates.

  5. Which Native American tribe historically cultivated the Three Sisters planting method of corn, beans, and squash together, a technique central to New England harvest traditions?

    Answer: Iroquois

    The Iroquois and other Haudenosaunee peoples developed the Three Sisters companion planting method, in which corn, beans, and squash support one another's growth in a single mound.

Daily round

  1. Which country celebrates Homowo, a traditional harvest festival of thanksgiving that involves sprinkling kpokpoi to honor ancestors and mark the end of a famine?

    Answer: Ghana

    Homowo is a harvest festival celebrated by the Ga people of Ghana's Greater Accra region, commemorating a historical famine and giving thanks through traditional food offerings and ceremonies.

  2. George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation was explicitly issued in response to which national development?

    Answer: The ratification of the U.S. Constitution

    Washington's proclamation called for a day of thanksgiving specifically to acknowledge the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the newly formed federal government.

  3. Which of the following best describes the original purpose of the 1621 Plymouth gathering as recorded by the colonists themselves?

    Answer: A harvest celebration

    Edward Winslow's 1621 letter describes the gathering as a harvest celebration following a successful growing season, rather than a formal religious service or political event.

  4. 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.

  5. What is the traditional name for the horn-shaped basket filled with fruits, vegetables, and grains that is a common symbol of the Thanksgiving harvest?

    Answer: Cornucopia

    The cornucopia, also called the horn of plenty, is a classical symbol of abundance and nourishment traditionally depicted overflowing with the season's produce.

Daily round

  1. What type of fat is most traditionally used to baste a roasting turkey?

    Answer: Melted butter spooned over the skin periodically

    Melted butter is the classic basting fat for roasting turkey, as its milk solids promote browning and its fat content helps the skin crisp while adding a rich flavor that complements the poultry.

  2. Approximately how many spectators line the route of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City each year?

    Answer: 1 to 2 million

    An estimated 1 to 2 million people attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person along its 2.5-mile route through Manhattan annually.

  3. 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.

  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. 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.

Daily round

  1. 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.

  2. Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation was primarily drafted by which member of his cabinet?

    Answer: William Seward

    Secretary of State William H. Seward is generally credited with drafting the text of Lincoln's 1863 Thanksgiving proclamation, which was then signed by the president.

  3. Which American state has historically celebrated Thanksgiving with regional dishes such as kalua turkey, poke, and malasadas reflecting its multicultural heritage?

    Answer: Hawaii

    Hawaii's Thanksgiving tables often reflect its diverse cultural influences with dishes like kalua turkey prepared in an imu, poke, malasadas, and other local specialties.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.