Thanksgiving Quiz Questions
Explore our collection of thanksgiving quiz questions to test your knowledge and learn something new.
20 questions · Updated July 2026
Take the Thanksgiving quiz
Answer a few questions and see how you score.
1. What was the name of the ship that carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic in 1620?
- The Speedwell
- The Godspeed
- The Mayflower
- The Santa Maria
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Correct answer: The Mayflower
Explanation: The Mayflower carried 102 passengers from England to America in 1620, landing at what became Plymouth Colony after a grueling 66-day voyage.
2. Which department store has sponsored New York City's famous Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924?
- Nordstrom
- Macy's
- Sears
- Bloomingdale's
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Correct answer: Macy's
Explanation: Macy's has run its Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1924. The earliest parades featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo; the giant character balloons debuted in 1927 with Felix the Cat.
3. What is the popular name for the shopping day that immediately follows Thanksgiving in the United States?
- Boxing Day
- Cyber Monday
- Super Saturday
- Black Friday
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Correct answer: Black Friday
Explanation: The day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, traditionally seen as the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. One popular explanation of the name is that the day's sales push retailers 'into the black,' meaning into profit.
4. Which bird is the traditional centerpiece of an American Thanksgiving dinner?
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Answer: Turkey
Explanation: The turkey is the classic Thanksgiving centerpiece, and tens of millions are eaten in the U.S. each Thanksgiving. Interestingly, historians are not certain turkey was even served at the original 1621 feast, though wild fowl and venison were.
5. Which country celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October?
- Germany
- Australia
- Canada
- United Kingdom
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Correct answer: Canada
Explanation: Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday in October, which aligns with the end of the harvest season.
6. Which U.S. president proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863?
- Thomas Jefferson
- Ulysses S. Grant
- George Washington
- Abraham Lincoln
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Correct answer: Abraham Lincoln
Explanation: Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, setting it on the final Thursday of November. Before that, Thanksgiving dates varied from state to state.
7. What was the name of the English-speaking Native American who taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn and where to fish?
- Sacagawea
- Pocahontas
- Squanto
- Geronimo
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Correct answer: Squanto
Explanation: Squanto, also known as Tisquantum, was a Patuxet man who had learned English after being taken to Europe. He became an invaluable guide and interpreter for the Plymouth colonists, teaching them local farming and fishing techniques.
8. What is the primary food typically served during Thanksgiving in Liberia?
- Pizza
- Tacos
- Sushi
- Jollof rice
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Correct answer: Jollof rice
Explanation: In Liberia, Jollof rice is often served during Thanksgiving celebrations, reflecting West African culinary traditions. This highlights how Thanksgiving meals can vary significantly depending on cultural context.
9. In which country is Thanksgiving celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, similar to the United States?
- Mexico
- Liberia
- South Africa
- New Zealand
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Correct answer: Liberia
Explanation: Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving on the same day as the United States, on the fourth Thursday of November, reflecting its historical ties to America.
10. Which Native American people shared the 1621 harvest feast with the Pilgrims at Plymouth?
- The Cherokee
- The Wampanoag
- The Navajo
- The Sioux
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Correct answer: The Wampanoag
Explanation: The Wampanoag, led by their sachem Massasoit, joined the Plymouth colonists for the 1621 harvest celebration. Around 90 Wampanoag attended, nearly double the number of surviving colonists.
11. The 1621 harvest celebration between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag lasted three days.
- False
- True
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Correct answer: True
Explanation: True. According to colonist Edward Winslow's firsthand account, the 1621 celebration went on for three days and included feasting, games, and shooting demonstrations, quite unlike today's single-day dinner.
12. The Detroit Lions and which other NFL team both traditionally host a game every Thanksgiving?
- Dallas Cowboys
- New England Patriots
- Green Bay Packers
- Chicago Bears
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Correct answer: Dallas Cowboys
Explanation: The Dallas Cowboys have hosted a Thanksgiving game nearly every year since 1966, joining the Detroit Lions, whose Thanksgiving tradition dates all the way back to 1934.
13. Turkey contains far more tryptophan than other common meats, which is why it uniquely makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner.
- False
- True
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Correct answer: False
Explanation: False. Turkey's tryptophan content is comparable to chicken and other meats. Post-feast drowsiness is mostly caused by simply eating a very large, carbohydrate-heavy meal, often washed down with alcohol.
14. Cranberries, a classic Thanksgiving side, are one of the few commercially grown fruits native to North America.
- True
- False
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Correct answer: True
Explanation: True. Cranberries are native to North America, along with blueberries and Concord grapes. Native Americans used cranberries for food, dye, and medicine long before European settlers arrived.
15. Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor who campaigned for decades to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, also wrote which famous nursery rhyme?
- Jack and Jill
- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
- Mary Had a Little Lamb
- Humpty Dumpty
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Correct answer: Mary Had a Little Lamb
Explanation: Sarah Josepha Hale wrote 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' in 1830. She spent some 17 years writing letters and editorials pushing for a national Thanksgiving, finally convincing President Lincoln in 1863, which earned her the nickname 'Mother of Thanksgiving.'
16. Green bean casserole, a Thanksgiving staple, was invented in 1955 in the test kitchen of which company?
- Kraft Foods
- General Mills
- Heinz
- Campbell Soup Company
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Correct answer: Campbell Soup Company
Explanation: Dorcas Reilly created green bean casserole in 1955 while working in the Campbell Soup Company test kitchen, designing it around the company's cream of mushroom soup. Campbell's estimates it now appears on tens of millions of Thanksgiving tables each year.
17. What was the name of the governing agreement the Pilgrims signed aboard their ship before landing in 1620?
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Answer: The Mayflower Compact
Explanation: The Mayflower Compact, signed in November 1620 by 41 male passengers, established a framework of self-government for Plymouth Colony. It is often cited as an early step toward democracy in America.
18. Which president made the White House turkey pardon an official annual Thanksgiving tradition in 1989?
- Harry Truman
- Ronald Reagan
- Bill Clinton
- George H. W. Bush
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Correct answer: George H. W. Bush
Explanation: George H. W. Bush formalized the turkey pardon in 1989, granting the bird an official 'presidential pardon.' Earlier presidents had occasionally spared turkeys, but Bush made it an annual ceremony that continues today.
19. When Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving a week earlier in 1939 to extend the shopping season, critics mockingly called the new date what?
- Franksgiving
- Rooseveltmas
- New Deal Thursday
- Falsegiving
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Correct answer: Franksgiving
Explanation: Critics dubbed FDR's earlier Thanksgiving 'Franksgiving.' The change caused two years of confusion, with states celebrating on different Thursdays, until Congress fixed Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November in 1941.
20. What year is generally recognized as the first Thanksgiving celebration in Plymouth, Massachusetts?
- 1621
- 1640
- 1620
- 1630
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Correct answer: 1621
Explanation: The first Thanksgiving is widely recognized to have occurred in 1621, where Pilgrims and Native Americans shared a harvest feast. Understanding this helps contextualize the historical relationship between these groups.
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