Let’s talk turkey with a Thanksgiving quiz

Thanksgiving traditionally marks the start of the holiday shopping season. To begin the celebration, let’s see how well you know the holiday with a short quiz (answers below):

1. While Christmas is always December 25, where can Thanksgiving be found on the calendar?
2. True or false. The origins of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the 1600s?
3. Who sings the Thanksgiving Song?
4. Which President declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?
5. The National Foot League features three games on Thanksgiving day. The Detroit Lions are one of two teams on the schedule each year. Name the other team.
6. How much turkey do Americans eat on Thanksgiving?
   A) 50 million pounds
   B) 250 million pounds
   C) More than 750 million pounds
7. What is the name of the parade that takes place that day? Bonus points if you know its original name.
8. Each year, the President of the United States pardons a turkey. Who started that tradition?
9. When the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line opened in 1981, six people responded to 11,000 calls. How many will the call center answer this year?
10. Which state produces the most cranberries? Hint: it also leads the nation in production of cheese.

 

Answers

1. Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November.
2. True. The Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest in 1621. According to sources, it included 50 people who traveled on the Mayflower and 90 Native Americans.
3. Adam Sandler sings the Thanksgiving Song.
4. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the fourth Thursday in November Thanksgiving in 1863.
5. The Dallas Cowboys join the Detroit Lions as NFL regulars on Thanksgiving Day.
6. According to the National Turkey Federation, approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2012.
7. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was originally the Macy’s Christmas Parade.
8. The origins of the Presidential Turkey Pardon are somewhat fuzzy, but Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy are both believed to have spared a turkey. The first official “pardon” was issued by President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Give yourself a point if you named any of these leaders.
9. More than 50 experts on the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line will respond to 100,000 calls this year.
10. Wisconsin holds the title of largest producer of cranberries, followed by Massachusetts.

Scoring
1- 4   You’re at the kids table
5 – 8   You’ve earned an extra serving
9 – 10   The drumstick is yours!