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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 2 of 12 covers seven completed UTC days.

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Daily round

  1. What minimum internal temperature should a whole turkey reach to be considered safely cooked?

    Answer: 165°F (74°C)

    The USDA advises that poultry must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) as measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh, wing, and breast.

  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. The English harvest festival tradition that influenced North American Thanksgiving customs is most closely tied to which seasonal activity?

    Answer: Autumn crop gathering

    The English Harvest Home festival, celebrated at the conclusion of the autumn harvest, contributed many customs and themes that shaped Thanksgiving traditions in both the United States and Canada.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Daily round

  1. The 1621 harvest gathering at Plymouth Colony is commonly described in historical accounts as lasting how many days?

    Answer: Three days

    Primary sources, including a letter by Edward Winslow, indicate that the 1621 harvest celebration at Plymouth lasted for three days and involved both the colonists and Wampanoag guests.

  2. 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.

  3. At the first NFL Thanksgiving game in 1934, which team defeated the Chicago Bears in a matchup hosted by the Detroit Lions?

    Answer: Detroit Lions

    The Detroit Lions won their first Thanksgiving Day football game on November 22, 1934, defeating the Chicago Bears 19-16 before a sold-out crowd at the University of Detroit Stadium.

  4. In what year did the Canadian Parliament fix Thanksgiving to its current position on the second Monday of October?

    Answer: 1957

    On January 31, 1957, the Canadian Parliament proclaimed that Thanksgiving would be observed annually on the second Monday of October, where it has remained ever since.

  5. 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.

Daily round

  1. In which European country is Erntedankfest, a harvest thanksgiving festival with church services, parades, and harvest displays, traditionally celebrated?

    Answer: Germany

    Erntedankfest is a traditional German harvest thanksgiving festival, typically observed in October with church services, processions, and displays of the season's crops.

  2. 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.

  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. Which U.S. president first formally pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey by officially sparing it from the dinner table?

    Answer: George H. W. Bush

    Although Abraham Lincoln is said to have informally spared a turkey, George H. W. Bush was the first president to issue an official formal pardon of a Thanksgiving turkey in 1989.

  5. 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.

Daily round

  1. 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.

  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. 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.

  4. Which U.S. president first issued a nationwide Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789, calling for a day of gratitude and prayer?

    Answer: George Washington

    George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789, as a day of national thanksgiving to acknowledge the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of the new federal government.

  5. Which type of potato is generally preferred for making fluffy mashed potatoes?

    Answer: Russet potatoes

    Russet (also called baking) potatoes have high starch content and low moisture, which allows them to break down into a light, fluffy texture when mashed, unlike waxy potatoes that hold their shape.

Daily round

  1. The Dallas Cowboys began their annual tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving Day NFL game in which year?

    Answer: 1966

    The Dallas Cowboys played their first Thanksgiving Day game in 1966 at the Cotton Bowl, and except for a brief gap in the 1970s, have hosted one nearly every year since.

  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. In which U.S. region is oyster stuffing, made with fresh oysters and breadcrumbs, a traditional Thanksgiving side dish?

    Answer: New England coastal areas

    Oyster stuffing has been a traditional Thanksgiving dish in New England coastal communities and other Atlantic coastal regions where fresh oysters were readily available during the autumn harvest season.

  4. Which grain was a staple crop cultivated by Indigenous peoples of the Northeast that became central to the Thanksgiving harvest narrative?

    Answer: Maize (corn)

    Maize, or corn, was one of the "Three Sisters" (along with beans and squash) cultivated by many Indigenous nations of eastern North America and occupies a central place in the agricultural history surrounding Thanksgiving.

  5. The tradition of writing gratitude lists or keeping gratitude journals around Thanksgiving has been linked in psychological research to improvements in which area of well-being?

    Answer: Subjective happiness and life satisfaction

    Multiple psychology studies, including those by Robert Emmons, have found that regularly practicing gratitude, such as writing gratitude lists, is associated with increased subjective happiness and life satisfaction.

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 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

Daily round

  1. 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.

  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. What temperature range is known as the food-safety "danger zone" where bacteria multiply most rapidly?

    Answer: 40°F to 140°F (4°C to 60°C)

    The danger zone between 40°F and 140°F is the range in which harmful bacteria can double in number in as little as 20 minutes, so perishable foods should not remain in this range for more than two hours.

  4. The Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional harvest celebration of gratitude and reunion, is most prominently observed in which cultural tradition?

    Answer: Chinese

    The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is a major Chinese cultural holiday celebrating the harvest and family reunion, featuring mooncakes and lantern displays on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month.

  5. In which country did the celebration known as Chuseok, a major harvest thanksgiving festival typically observed in autumn, originate?

    Answer: Korea

    Chuseok is a major Korean harvest festival, also known as Hangawi, celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month with ancestral rites and traditional foods like songpyeon.