Trivia is an easy way to get everyone talking between the meal and the pie. Split into teams (mix kids, parents and grandparents) and keep score on a napkin.
Easy round: history
- In what year was the harvest feast often called the "first Thanksgiving"? 1621.
- Where did it take place? Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts.
- What ship brought the Pilgrims to America? The Mayflower.
- In what year did the Mayflower arrive? 1620.
- Which Native American people joined the 1621 feast? The Wampanoag.
- Who was the Wampanoag leader there? Massasoit (Ousamequin).
- About how many days did the 1621 celebration last? Three.
- Which president proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863? Abraham Lincoln.
- Which writer campaigned for years for a national Thanksgiving? Sarah Josepha Hale.
- What famous nursery rhyme did she write? "Mary Had a Little Lamb."
Medium round: dates and traditions
- Which Thursday of November is Thanksgiving in the US? The fourth.
- Which president moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in 1939? Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- What nickname did critics give it? "Franksgiving."
- In what year did Congress fix the date as the fourth Thursday? 1941.
- When does Canada celebrate Thanksgiving? The second Monday in October.
- What year was the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? 1924.
- In what city is the Macy's parade held? New York City.
- Which NFL team has hosted a Thanksgiving game almost every year since 1934? The Detroit Lions.
- Which other team regularly hosts on Thanksgiving? The Dallas Cowboys.
- What do you call the wishbone tradition? Two people pull; whoever gets the bigger piece gets a wish.
Food round
- Which company's test kitchen created green bean casserole in 1955? Campbell's.
- Cranberries grow in what kind of wetland? Bogs (or marshes).
- Is the cranberry native to North America? Yes.
- What vegetable goes in the casserole often topped with marshmallows? Sweet potatoes.
- What spice blend is in pumpkin pie? Usually cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
- Stuffing cooked outside the bird is often called what? Dressing.
- What's the most popular pie on Thanksgiving? Pumpkin is the classic answer (pecan and apple are close behind).
- What's a "Friendsgiving"? A Thanksgiving meal shared with friends.
Turkey round
- What is a male turkey called? A tom (or gobbler).
- A female turkey? A hen.
- A baby turkey? A poult.
- Can wild turkeys fly? Yes, for short distances.
- What's the red flap of skin over a turkey's beak called? The snood.
- And the red skin under its chin? The wattle.
- Which president made the turkey pardon an official yearly event in 1989? George H. W. Bush.
- Which sound does only the male turkey make? The gobble.
Hard round
- Which Patuxet man, who spoke English, helped the Pilgrims? Tisquantum (Squanto).
- Who was the governor of Plymouth Colony at the 1621 feast? William Bradford.
- Which colonist wrote the only firsthand account of the 1621 feast? Edward Winslow.
- Which Founding Father reportedly preferred the turkey to the bald eagle as a national symbol? Benjamin Franklin (in a letter to his daughter).
How to run it
- Play in rounds; give a point for each correct answer and a bonus for the hard round.
- For kids, read just the easy and turkey rounds.
- For senior groups, print questions in large print and play in tables.
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