Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and, of course, fun! This ultimate guide offers 225 Thanksgiving trivia questions with answers to entertain guests of all ages.
With categories like history, food, pop culture, and more, you’ll have endless ways to keep the celebration lively and engaging.
Thanksgiving History Trivia
Test Your Knowledge of Thanksgiving’s Roots
- What year was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
Answer: 1621 - Who were the Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims?
Answer: The Wampanoag - Which President declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln - In which state was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
Answer: Massachusetts - What ship brought the Pilgrims to America?
Answer: The Mayflower - What was the name of the agreement signed by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower?
Answer: The Mayflower Compact - How long did the first Thanksgiving last?
Answer: Three days - What year did Abraham Lincoln declare Thanksgiving a holiday?
Answer: 1863 - What day of the week was the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: Thursday - Who was the leader of the Wampanoag during the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: Chief Massasoit - What was the Pilgrims’ original destination?
Answer: Virginia - Who was the governor of Plymouth Colony during the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: William Bradford - What country did the Pilgrims flee from before coming to America?
Answer: England - What was the primary food at the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: Wildfowl and venison - What did the Pilgrims call their colony?
Answer: Plymouth Colony - How many Pilgrims survived their first winter?
Answer: About 50 - Who taught the Pilgrims how to farm in the New World?
Answer: Squanto - What religious group were the Pilgrims part of?
Answer: The Separatists - Which U.S. President tried to move Thanksgiving to boost shopping?
Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt - What traditional harvest festival influenced Thanksgiving?
Answer: Harvest Home - When was the term “Black Friday” first used in relation to Thanksgiving?
Answer: 1950s - What 19th-century writer is credited with helping make Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: Sarah Josepha Hale - What war was ongoing when Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday?
Answer: The Civil War - What modern U.S. state was Plymouth located in?
Answer: Massachusetts - How many days did it take the Mayflower to cross the Atlantic?
Answer: 66 days - What was the population of the Wampanoag tribe in 1620?
Answer: About 40,000 - Which English explorer named Plymouth?
Answer: John Smith - What does the name “Thanksgiving” signify?
Answer: Giving thanks - When did Canada celebrate its first Thanksgiving?
Answer: 1879 - What is the name of the rock associated with the Pilgrims’ landing?
Answer: Plymouth Rock - What is the traditional date of Thanksgiving in the U.S.?
Answer: The fourth Thursday of November - How many Pilgrims were on the Mayflower?
Answer: 102 - How many Native Americans joined the Pilgrims for the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: About 90 - What was the main reason for the Pilgrims’ journey to America?
Answer: Religious freedom - What European country had an earlier Thanksgiving celebration before America?
Answer: The Netherlands - When did the Pilgrims depart from England?
Answer: September 6, 1620 - What colony celebrated Thanksgiving as an annual festival before it became a holiday?
Answer: Virginia - What is the historical significance of 1863 to Thanksgiving?
Answer: Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday. - What is the term for Native American tribes’ harvest celebrations?
Answer: Green Corn Festivals - Which feast day influenced Thanksgiving traditions?
Answer: English Harvest Festivals
Thanksgiving Food Trivia
Celebrate the Feast with These Questions
- What bird is most commonly associated with Thanksgiving?
Answer: Turkey - What is the name of the bread used in stuffing?
Answer: Cornbread - What is the most popular pie on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Pumpkin pie - What is another name for cranberries?
Answer: Bounceberries - Which nut is commonly used in Thanksgiving desserts?
Answer: Pecans - What sauce is a Thanksgiving staple?
Answer: Cranberry sauce - What type of potato is often served mashed?
Answer: Russet potatoes - What Thanksgiving dish uses marshmallows?
Answer: Sweet potato casserole - What is the average weight of a Thanksgiving turkey?
Answer: 15 pounds - What is a common herb in Thanksgiving stuffing?
Answer: Sage
Thanksgiving Pop Culture Trivia
How Well Do You Know Thanksgiving in Entertainment?
- What NFL team always plays on Thanksgiving Day?
Answer: Detroit Lions - Which Thanksgiving parade is the most famous in the U.S.?
Answer: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade - What Friends episode is famous for its Thanksgiving storyline?
Answer: “The One with the Football” - Who sang “Over the River and Through the Wood”?
Answer: Lydia Maria Child - What popular Thanksgiving movie stars John Candy and Steve Martin?
Answer: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles - In Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving, what does Snoopy serve the gang?
Answer: Popcorn and toast - What famous balloon character debuted in Macy’s parade in 1927?
Answer: Felix the Cat - What sitcom features Thanksgiving episodes every season?
Answer: Friends - What show hosts an annual Thanksgiving “Turkey Drop” competition?
Answer: WKRP in Cincinnati - What popular holiday song originated as a Thanksgiving tune?
Answer: Jingle Bells - Who is the famous announcer for the Macy’s Parade?
Answer: Al Roker - What animated family often features Thanksgiving dinner disasters?
Answer: The Simpsons - What food brand is known for its Thanksgiving commercials?
Answer: Butterball - What comedy film features a disastrous Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: Home for the Holidays - Who performs at the NFL Thanksgiving halftime show?
Answer: Various artists - What cooking show hosts Thanksgiving special episodes annually?
Answer: The Pioneer Woman - What modern movie features a Thanksgiving dinner scene?
Answer: Knives Out - What streaming service showcases Thanksgiving-themed episodes?
Answer: Hulu - What famous singer released a Thanksgiving anthem?
Answer: Adam Sandler - What network airs the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving?
Answer: NBC
Thanksgiving Around the World Trivia
Discover Global Traditions and Comparisons
- Which country celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October?
Answer: Canada - What is the name of the Thanksgiving festival celebrated in Germany?
Answer: Erntedankfest - What is a common Thanksgiving dish in Liberia?
Answer: Roast chicken - Which Asian country celebrates a harvest festival called Chuseok?
Answer: South Korea - What is the European festival similar to Thanksgiving called?
Answer: Harvest Festival - What is the Thanksgiving-like festival celebrated in Japan?
Answer: Labor Thanksgiving Day (Kinrō Kansha no Hi) - When does Grenada celebrate Thanksgiving?
Answer: October 25 - What is the name of the harvest festival celebrated in India?
Answer: Pongal - In what year did Canada officially declare Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: 1879 - Which Caribbean nation celebrates Thanksgiving to honor U.S. intervention?
Answer: Grenada - What type of music is commonly played during Erntedankfest in Germany?
Answer: Folk music - What African country celebrates Thanksgiving as a remnant of its American ties?
Answer: Liberia - What type of bread is commonly served during Canada’s Thanksgiving?
Answer: Bannock - Which Asian country celebrates the harvest festival Tsukimi?
Answer: Japan - What is the harvest festival celebrated by the Jewish community?
Answer: Sukkot - Which South American country has a spring Thanksgiving festival?
Answer: Argentina - What is the Thanksgiving harvest festival in Ghana called?
Answer: Homowo - What is the common drink served during Erntedankfest in Germany?
Answer: Cider - Which British holiday influenced the American Thanksgiving tradition?
Answer: Harvest Home - What is the main focus of Thanksgiving celebrations in South Korea?
Answer: Honoring ancestors
Fun and Quirky Thanksgiving Facts Trivia
Unusual and Entertaining Thanksgiving Facts
- What percentage of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Answer: About 88% - How fast can a wild turkey run?
Answer: Up to 20 mph - What was the first department store to hold a Thanksgiving parade?
Answer: Gimbels - How many pumpkin pies are eaten on Thanksgiving each year?
Answer: 50 million - What is the average number of calories consumed on Thanksgiving?
Answer: 4,500 calories - Which U.S. President refused to declare Thanksgiving a holiday?
Answer: Thomas Jefferson - What percentage of Americans go shopping on Black Friday?
Answer: About 37% - How many turkeys are cooked in the U.S. each Thanksgiving?
Answer: 46 million - What is the record weight of the heaviest turkey ever raised?
Answer: 86 pounds - How much does the average Thanksgiving turkey weigh?
Answer: 15 pounds - How many days before Thanksgiving do most people start cooking?
Answer: Two days - What is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish in the U.S.?
Answer: Mashed potatoes - How much does the average American spend on Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: About $50 - What is the most common cooking method for Thanksgiving turkeys?
Answer: Roasting - How long does it take to thaw a 15-pound frozen turkey?
Answer: About three days - What is the name of the turkey often served at the White House?
Answer: Butterball - What percentage of Americans prefer turkey leftovers?
Answer: About 80% - What Thanksgiving dish was invented in the 1950s?
Answer: Green bean casserole - What is the main ingredient in Thanksgiving stuffing?
Answer: Bread - What state produces the most sweet potatoes?
Answer: North Carolina
Thanksgiving Sports Trivia
Test Your Knowledge on Sports and Thanksgiving
- What NFL team has hosted the most Thanksgiving games?
Answer: Detroit Lions - What year did the Detroit Lions first play on Thanksgiving?
Answer: 1934 - Which two NFL teams traditionally play on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys - What is the name of the college football rivalry often played on Thanksgiving?
Answer: The Egg Bowl - What year did the NFL add a third Thanksgiving game?
Answer: 2006 - What is the most-watched NFL Thanksgiving game of all time?
Answer: Packers vs. Lions (2011) - What charity benefits from the NFL’s Thanksgiving halftime show?
Answer: Salvation Army - What is the name of the Thanksgiving Day race held in many cities?
Answer: Turkey Trot - What Thanksgiving sport is associated with the phrase “throwing the pigskin”?
Answer: Football - Which team holds the record for most Thanksgiving game losses?
Answer: Detroit Lions - What basketball tournament takes place over Thanksgiving?
Answer: Maui Invitational - What is the name of the rivalry game between Texas and Texas A&M?
Answer: Lone Star Showdown - What Thanksgiving sport features “gobblers”?
Answer: Bowling - How many NFL games are played on Thanksgiving each year?
Answer: Three - When did the Dallas Cowboys first host a Thanksgiving game?
Answer: 1966 - What high school tradition often happens on Thanksgiving morning?
Answer: Football games - What is the traditional halftime entertainment during Thanksgiving NFL games?
Answer: Musical performances - What U.S. President started the Turkey Trot race?
Answer: William Howard Taft - What Thanksgiving event is known as “America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”?
Answer: The Detroit Parade - How many years has the Detroit Lions hosted Thanksgiving games consecutively?
Answer: Over 80 years
Thanksgiving Science and Nature Trivia
Learn Fascinating Facts About the Season
- Why do turkeys have a red wattle?
Answer: To attract mates - What chemical in turkey is often blamed for drowsiness?
Answer: Tryptophan - What is the scientific name for a turkey?
Answer: Meleagris gallopavo - What type of tree is most associated with autumn?
Answer: Maple tree - How many feathers does a turkey have?
Answer: About 3,500 - What do you call a group of turkeys?
Answer: A rafter - What is the average lifespan of a wild turkey?
Answer: 3-4 years - What type of crop is most harvested in the fall?
Answer: Corn - What causes leaves to change color in the fall?
Answer: Chlorophyll breakdown - What is the most common Thanksgiving vegetable grown in the U.S.?
Answer: Sweet potatoes