Thanksgiving trivia gets messy when a cozy holiday story is treated like a complete history lesson, so this guide does not flatten the Wampanoag into background characters in someone else’s celebration.
These 125 Thanksgiving trivia questions cover the 1621 Plymouth harvest gathering, food, pop culture, global harvest traditions, football, turkeys, and autumn while separating documented history from holiday folklore.
Thanksgiving History Trivia
Start with the 1621 Plymouth harvest gathering, the Wampanoag-English alliance, the Mayflower, and the later creation of the U.S. national holiday.
- In what year did the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag people share the harvest gathering later folded into the “First Thanksgiving” story?
Answer: 1621 - Which Native nation took part in the 1621 Plymouth harvest gathering and had formed an alliance with the English colonists?
Answer: The Wampanoag - Which president issued the 1863 proclamation establishing a national Thanksgiving observance during the Civil War?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln - In what present-day state did the 1621 Plymouth harvest gathering take place?
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 was the name of the Wampanoag sachem often called Massasoit who attended the 1621 gathering?
Answer: Ousamequin - What region within the Virginia Company’s territory did the Mayflower colonists originally intend to reach?
Answer: The Hudson River area - Who was the governor of Plymouth Colony during the first Thanksgiving?
Answer: William Bradford - In which Dutch city had many of the English Separatists lived before sailing for North America?
Answer: Leiden - What two kinds of meat are specifically mentioned in surviving accounts of the 1621 harvest gathering?
Answer: Wildfowl and venison - What did the Pilgrims call their colony?
Answer: Plymouth Colony - How many Pilgrims survived their first winter?
Answer: About 50 - Which Wampanoag-speaking interpreter helped the Plymouth colonists learn local planting and fishing practices?
Answer: Tisquantum, commonly called 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 - In which U.S. city did police popularize the shopping-related use of “Black Friday” in the mid-20th century?
Answer: Philadelphia - 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 - Which English explorer named Plymouth?
Answer: John Smith - What does the name “Thanksgiving” signify?
Answer: Giving thanks - In what year did Canada first establish a national day of Thanksgiving by proclamation?
Answer: 1879 - What is the name of the rock associated with the Pilgrims' landing?
Answer: Plymouth Rock - On what day is U.S. Thanksgiving observed by federal law?
Answer: The fourth Thursday of November - How many Pilgrims were on the Mayflower?
Answer: 102 - About how many Wampanoag men does Edward Winslow’s surviving account say came with Ousamequin to the 1621 gathering?
Answer: About 90 - When did the Pilgrims depart from England?
Answer: September 6, 1620 - What is the historical significance of 1863 to Thanksgiving?
Answer: Lincoln proclaimed it a national holiday.
Thanksgiving Food Trivia
This round stays in the kitchen with turkey, stuffing, cranberries, pies, herbs, and the foods people now associate with Thanksgiving.
- What bird is most commonly associated with Thanksgiving?
Answer: Turkey - What bread gives cornbread stuffing its name?
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 minimum internal temperature does USDA recommend for a cooked turkey?
Answer: 165°F - What is a common herb in Thanksgiving stuffing?
Answer: Sage
Thanksgiving Pop Culture Trivia
Movies, television, parades, music, and Thanksgiving episodes take over this round.
- Which NFL team began its Thanksgiving hosting tradition in 1934?
Answer: The Detroit Lions - What New York City parade began in 1924 and is now one of the best-known Thanksgiving traditions?
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 was “Jingle Bells” originally published as in 1857?
Answer: “The One Horse Open Sleigh” - 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 modern movie features a Thanksgiving dinner scene?
Answer: Knives Out - Which comedian recorded “The Thanksgiving Song,” first performed on Saturday Night Live?
Answer: Adam Sandler - What network airs the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving?
Answer: NBC
Thanksgiving Around the World Trivia
These questions compare U.S. Thanksgiving with harvest festivals, public holidays, and family traditions in other countries without pretending they are all the same holiday.
- 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 Japanese public holiday on November 23 is called Kinrō Kansha no Hi in Japanese?
Answer: Labor Thanksgiving Day - When does Grenada celebrate Thanksgiving?
Answer: October 25 - What Tamil harvest festival is celebrated over several days in January?
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 - Which Jewish festival has strong agricultural and harvest associations?
Answer: Sukkot - Which British holiday influenced the American Thanksgiving tradition?
Answer: Harvest Home - What is a central family tradition of Chuseok in South Korea?
Answer: Honoring ancestors and gathering with family
Fun and Quirky Thanksgiving Facts Trivia
Next are parade facts, food safety, turkey biology, presidential traditions, and the quirky side of the holiday.
- What amino acid in turkey is often blamed for post-meal drowsiness, even though the whole meal matters more?
Answer: Tryptophan - 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 - What spice blend commonly combines cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves for pumpkin pie?
Answer: Pumpkin pie spice - According to USDA food-safety guidance, within how many hours should perishable Thanksgiving leftovers generally be refrigerated?
Answer: Two hours - 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% - What are the three USDA-approved ways to safely thaw a turkey?
Answer: In the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave - 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 refrigerator thawing time does USDA recommend per 4–5 pounds of turkey?
Answer: About 24 hours - 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 White House ceremony symbolically spares selected turkeys from becoming Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: The presidential turkey pardon - 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
Football and Turkey Trots make this the sports round, with the Lions, Cowboys, and the NFL’s Thanksgiving tripleheader.
- 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 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 name is commonly given to community running races held on or around Thanksgiving?
Answer: Turkey Trots - What Thanksgiving event is known as “America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”?
Answer: The Detroit Parade - In what year did the Detroit Lions begin their Thanksgiving Day tradition?
Answer: 1934
Thanksgiving Science and Nature Trivia
Finish with wild turkeys, autumn leaves, seasonal biology, and the science behind the time of year.
- Why do turkeys have a red wattle?
Answer: To attract mates - Why is turkey alone not a good explanation for the sleepiness people may feel after Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: Tryptophan is also found in many foods, and a large mixed meal can contribute to drowsiness - 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 - Which orange root vegetable often appears in Thanksgiving casseroles?
Answer: Sweet potato
How I Checked the Thanksgiving History
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian specifically warns that the simplified “First Thanksgiving” story leaves out Wampanoag perspectives and the political context of the alliance. Plimoth Patuxet Museums describes the 1621 event as a three-day harvest celebration and notes the limits of what surviving sources tell us about the food.
For the later U.S. holiday, the Library of Congress preserves Sarah Josepha Hale’s 1863 letter urging Abraham Lincoln to establish a national Thanksgiving observance. NFL history comes from NFL.com, which traces Detroit’s tradition to 1934, Dallas to 1966, and the third game to 2006.
Food-safety trivia uses USDA guidance: turkey and stuffing should reach 165°F, refrigerator thawing takes about 24 hours per 4–5 pounds, and leftovers should be refrigerated promptly.
More Holiday Trivia
Try Christmas trivia, fun trivia, or the 700-question trivia challenge.
Ellie Simons creates and edits Random Trivia. She researches trivia using primary and authoritative sources whenever possible and is currently reviewing the site's older trivia library for accuracy, clarity, and playability. Read more on the About page.
About this quiz
Site editor: Ellie Simons. Read our Trivia Methodology to learn how questions are researched and updated. Page last updated: . Report an error.