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41 Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers

Thanksgiving history, the Pilgrims, parades and food, and how the U.S. and Canadian holidays differ.

41 questions · Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers · answers included

Updated

Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers

Choose a score button to add a point. Scores last for this page visit.

Space shows the answer, then the next card. Arrow keys move. With scores on, keys 1 to 6 add a team point. F fills the screen. Escape closes play.

Questions 1–20

  1. 1

    On which weekday is U.S. Thanksgiving celebrated?

    easy

    Answer

    the fourth Thursday of November

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  2. 2

    In what year did the U.S. Thanksgiving date become uniform nationwide?

    medium

    Answer

    1941

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  3. 3

    What is the earliest possible calendar date for U.S. Thanksgiving?

    medium

    Answer

    November 22

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  4. 4

    What is the latest possible calendar date for U.S. Thanksgiving?

    medium

    Answer

    November 28

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  5. 5

    From what year does the modern U.S. national Thanksgiving celebration date?

    hard

    Answer

    1863

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  6. 6

    Which year supplied the harvest celebration later popularized as the first Thanksgiving?

    easy

    Answer

    1621

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  7. 7

    Where and when was the first known civil day of thanksgiving in the New England tradition?

    hard

    Answer

    Plymouth Colony in 1623

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  8. 8

    Which bird is the centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner?

    easy

    Answer

    Turkey

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)?oldid=1364510851

  9. 9

    When is Canadian Thanksgiving held each year?

    easy

    Answer

    the second Monday in October

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)?oldid=1351745839

  10. 10

    Since what date has Thanksgiving been an annual official holiday in Canada?

    hard

    Answer

    November 6, 1879

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)?oldid=1351745839

  11. 11

    Which governor general issued Canada's 1957 Thanksgiving proclamation?

    hard

    Answer

    Vincent Massey

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(Canada)?oldid=1351745839

  12. 12

    Besides the United States, name one country with a national Thanksgiving holiday.

    hard

    Answer

    Canada, Saint Lucia or Liberia

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving?oldid=1358813808

  13. 13

    Which Australian territory also observes Thanksgiving?

    hard

    Answer

    Norfolk Island

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving?oldid=1358813808

  14. 14

    What did Thanksgiving originally give thanks for?

    medium

    Answer

    the blessings of the harvest

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving?oldid=1358813808

  15. 15

    What was the first permanent English colony in New England?

    medium

    Answer

    Plymouth Colony

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

  16. 16

    In what year was Plymouth Colony founded?

    easy

    Answer

    1620

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

  17. 17

    Who settled Plymouth Colony?

    easy

    Answer

    the passengers on the Mayflower

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

  18. 18

    Who had previously surveyed and named Plymouth Colony's location?

    hard

    Answer

    Captain John Smith

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

  19. 19

    Which Wampanoag chief made a treaty with Plymouth Colony?

    medium

    Answer

    Massasoit

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

  20. 20

    With which colony did Plymouth merge in 1691?

    hard

    Answer

    the Massachusetts Bay Colony

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony?oldid=1359126803

Questions 21–40

  1. 21

    What was Squanto's Wampanoag tribal affiliation?

    medium

    Answer

    the Patuxet tribe

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  2. 22

    What was Squanto's original name?

    medium

    Answer

    Tisquantum

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  3. 23

    Who kidnapped Tisquantum in 1614?

    hard

    Answer

    Thomas Hunt

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  4. 24

    What language did Tisquantum learn during captivity?

    easy

    Answer

    English

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  5. 25

    Which three roles did Tisquantum fill for the Pilgrims?

    hard

    Answer

    interpreter, guide, and advisor

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  6. 26

    What crop skills did Tisquantum teach the settlers?

    medium

    Answer

    how to sow and fertilize native crops

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto?oldid=1361840059

  7. 27

    What type of ship was the Mayflower?

    hard

    Answer

    an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower?oldid=1365650728

  8. 28

    How many passengers crossed on the Mayflower in 1620?

    easy

    Answer

    102 passengers

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower?oldid=1365650728

  9. 29

    How long was the Mayflower at sea before reaching Cape Cod Bay?

    medium

    Answer

    10 weeks

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower?oldid=1365650728

  10. 30

    What agreement established a rudimentary government before the passengers disembarked?

    easy

    Answer

    the Mayflower Compact

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower?oldid=1365650728

  11. 31

    How many living turkey species are there?

    medium

    Answer

    two

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_(bird)?oldid=1365991138

  12. 32

    What is the fleshy wattle above a male turkey's beak called?

    medium

    Answer

    a snood

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_(bird)?oldid=1365991138

  13. 33

    To which continents are turkeys indigenous?

    easy

    Answer

    the Americas

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_(bird)?oldid=1365991138

  14. 34

    Approximately how long ago was the turkey domesticated?

    hard

    Answer

    2,000 years ago

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_(bird)?oldid=1365991138

  15. 35

    What color does a ripe cranberry turn?

    easy

    Answer

    red

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry?oldid=1364646636

  16. 36

    Which sauce traditionally accompanies Thanksgiving turkey in the U.S. and Canada?

    easy

    Answer

    Cranberry sauce

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry?oldid=1364646636

  17. 37

    What type of filling does pumpkin pie have?

    easy

    Answer

    a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_pie?oldid=1365499457

  18. 38

    Name two of the spices in pumpkin pie spice.

    medium

    Answer

    Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_pie?oldid=1365499457

  19. 39

    Who created the green bean casserole recipe in 1955?

    medium

    Answer

    Dorcas Reilly

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_bean_casserole?oldid=1354893484

  20. 40

    In what year was the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first held?

    medium

    Answer

    1924

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macy's_Thanksgiving_Day_Parade?oldid=1362034165

Question 41

  1. 41

    What was the surname of the activist who campaigned for an American Thanksgiving holiday?

    hard

    Answer

    Hale

    Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Josepha_Hale?oldid=1363978243

How to play

Read dates, countries and proclamations carefully. The Pilgrims' harvest feast and the later national holiday are different things, so accept only the one the question asks about.

Timer and team scores

8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.

60

Pause whenever the group needs more time.

Team Lime's turn

Team Lime: 0

Team Violet: 0