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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 9 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. 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.

  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. 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.

  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. 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.

Daily round

  1. Which of the following is a traditional component of a Southern-style relish tray at Thanksgiving?

    Answer: Olives, pickles, and raw vegetables such as celery sticks

    A classic relish tray typically offers an assortment of olives, various pickles, and crisp raw vegetables like celery, carrot sticks, and radishes, serving as a light appetizer before the main meal.

  2. Who campaigned for decades through editorials and letters to make Thanksgiving a U.S. national holiday before Lincoln's 1863 proclamation?

    Answer: Sarah Josepha Hale

    Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book, wrote editorials and lobbied presidents and governors for 36 years to establish Thanksgiving as a unified national holiday.

  3. English explorer Martin Frobisher is associated with early Canadian thanksgiving observances in which century?

    Answer: Sixteenth century

    In 1578, Martin Frobisher held a formal thanksgiving ceremony in what is now Nunavut after surviving a difficult Arctic voyage, making it one of the earliest recorded thanksgiving observances in North America.

  4. Which nut, commonly featured in Thanksgiving pies, is native to the south-central United States and northern Mexico?

    Answer: Pecan

    The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to the southern United States and northern Mexico, making it a uniquely American nut that features prominently in Southern Thanksgiving desserts.

  5. 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.

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 of these vegetables belongs to the same botanical family as pumpkins and butternut squash?

    Answer: Zucchini

    Pumpkins, butternut squash, and zucchini are all members of the Cucurbitaceae family (the gourd family), while sweet potatoes, turnips, and parsnips belong to entirely different plant families.

  3. 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.

  4. What does the term "self-basting" mean when printed on a store-bought turkey label?

    Answer: The turkey has been pre-injected or pre-treated with a seasoned broth or fat solution

    A self-basting turkey has been pre-injected with a solution of broth, water, butter, or other seasonings intended to keep the meat moist during cooking, meaning additional basting is not necessary.

  5. Which ingredient gives traditional candied yams their characteristic toasted, golden topping?

    Answer: Miniature marshmallows browned under a broiler or in the oven

    The marshmallow-topped candied yam casserole—featuring a layer of miniature marshmallows browned under a broiler or in the oven—became a widely popular Thanksgiving dish in the United States during the twentieth century.

Daily round

  1. Which president signed the 1941 joint congressional resolution that ended the uncertainty over Thanksgiving's date in the United States?

    Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the joint congressional resolution in December 1941, permanently fixing Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November and resolving the confusion of the previous two years.

  2. 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.

  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. What is the approximate number of pumpkins grown in the United States each year for the autumn harvest season, including those used for Thanksgiving pies and decorations?

    Answer: Around 1 billion

    The United States produces roughly 1 billion pounds of pumpkins annually, with the vast majority harvested in the autumn for use in cooking, decorating, and Thanksgiving celebrations.

  5. Which group of early settlers is credited with bringing American-style Thanksgiving harvest customs to Canada?

    Answer: United Empire Loyalists

    United Empire Loyalists who emigrated from the United States during and after the American Revolution carried Thanksgiving customs, including harvest festival traditions, into Canada.

Daily round

  1. 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.

  2. What is the name of the traditional Thanksgiving football game rivalry between high schools in Springfield, Massachusetts, that began in 1894?

    Answer: The Turkey Bowl

    The Turkey Bowl is the long-standing Thanksgiving Day high school football rivalry in Springfield, Massachusetts, dating back more than a century.

  3. What is the common name for the red berry traditionally served as a sauce or relish alongside Thanksgiving turkey?

    Answer: Cranberry

    Cranberries are the traditional berry served at Thanksgiving, prepared as a sauce, relish, or jelly to complement the savory flavors of turkey and other holiday dishes.

  4. In what year did the U.S. Congress permanently fix Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November?

    Answer: 1941

    Congress passed a joint resolution in December 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, officially designating the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day.

  5. In many Southern U.S. traditions, what distinguishes "dressing" from "stuffing"?

    Answer: Dressing is baked in a separate dish rather than inside the bird

    While the terms are often used interchangeably, many Southern cooks reserve "dressing" for the version baked in its own casserole dish, distinguishing it from "stuffing" that is cooked inside the turkey cavity.

Daily round

  1. Which New England state produces the majority of cranberries harvested in the United States for Thanksgiving consumption?

    Answer: Massachusetts

    Massachusetts is the leading cranberry-producing state and home to the Cape Cod region where cranberry bogs have been harvested for generations, supplying much of the fruit used at Thanksgiving.

  2. Which Caribbean nation observes a Thanksgiving-style holiday on October 25 to commemorate the anniversary of a significant political event in 1983?

    Answer: Grenada

    Grenada celebrates Thanksgiving Day on October 25, marking the anniversary of the 1983 U.S.-led intervention that restored political order to the island nation.

  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. 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.

  5. 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.

Daily round

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. The tradition of presenting a live turkey to the U.S. president each Thanksgiving began during which administration?

    Answer: Harry S. Truman

    The National Turkey Federation began presenting a Thanksgiving turkey to the White House in 1947 during the Truman administration, though Truman is believed to have eaten the turkey he received.

  4. According to primary source accounts, approximately how many Wampanoag guests attended the 1621 Plymouth harvest gathering?

    Answer: About 90

    Edward Winslow's firsthand account describes approximately 90 Wampanoag men, including their leader Massasoit, joining the colonists for the multi-day feast.

  5. Which Canadian city hosts a major annual November parade that is closely associated with the Thanksgiving and holiday season?

    Answer: Toronto

    Toronto hosts the annual Santa Claus Parade in November, closely tied to the Thanksgiving weekend, and it is one of the largest parades in North America.