Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and, of course, delicious food! But it’s also the perfect opportunity to have some fun together while learning a little bit about history, traditions, and turkey time. Whether you’re around the dinner table, in the classroom, or on a road trip to Grandma’s house, these Thanksgiving trivia questions are sure to entertain kids and adults alike.
Let’s see how much you really know about Thanksgiving!
1. What month is Thanksgiving celebrated in the United States?
Answer: November
2. Which day of the week is Thanksgiving celebrated on?
Answer: Thursday
3. Who were the first people to celebrate Thanksgiving in America?
Answer: The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans
4. What year was the first Thanksgiving celebrated?
Answer: 1621
5. Where did the first Thanksgiving take place?
Answer: Plymouth, Massachusetts
6. What ship did the Pilgrims sail on to reach America?
Answer: The Mayflower
7. How long was the Pilgrims’ journey on the Mayflower?
Answer: About 66 days
8. Which U.S. president made Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: Abraham Lincoln
9. In what year did Abraham Lincoln declare Thanksgiving a national holiday?
Answer: 1863
10. What is the main dish most families eat on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Turkey
11. What type of meat did the Pilgrims likely eat at the first Thanksgiving instead of turkey?
Answer: Venison (deer) and seafood
12. What side dish is made from mashed sweet potatoes and often topped with marshmallows?
Answer: Sweet potato casserole
13. What is the name of the big parade held every Thanksgiving in New York City?
Answer: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
14. When was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held?
Answer: 1924
15. What famous balloon character was the first in the Macy’s parade?
Answer: Felix the Cat
16. What dessert is most commonly served on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Pumpkin pie
17. What other pies are also popular on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Apple pie and pecan pie
18. What is the red, jelly-like dish often served on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Cranberry sauce
19. What bread-based side dish is often stuffed inside the turkey?
Answer: Stuffing or dressing
20. What vegetable is used to make the classic dish “green bean casserole”?
Answer: Green beans
21. What sport is traditionally played and watched on Thanksgiving Day?
Answer: Football
22. Which two NFL teams have traditionally played on Thanksgiving the longest?
Answer: The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys
23. What animal is pardoned by the U.S. president every Thanksgiving?
Answer: A turkey
24. What is the name of the ceremony where the president saves a turkey?
Answer: The National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardon
25. How many days did the first Thanksgiving celebration last?
Answer: Three days
26. What crop did the Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow?
Answer: Corn
27. What fall vegetable is often carved for Halloween but eaten at Thanksgiving?
Answer: Pumpkin
28. What do Americans often do the day after Thanksgiving?
Answer: Go shopping on Black Friday
29. What sauce is made from berries and often served with turkey?
Answer: Cranberry sauce
30. What word do we use to describe being thankful?
Answer: Gratitude
31. What do many families do before eating Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: Say what they’re thankful for
32. What is a common decoration used for Thanksgiving?
Answer: Cornucopia (horn of plenty)
33. What bird did Benjamin Franklin want to make the national symbol instead of the bald eagle?
Answer: The turkey
34. What’s the day after Thanksgiving called that focuses on online shopping?
Answer: Cyber Monday
35. Which Native American tribe celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
Answer: The Wampanoag tribe
36. What’s another name for corn?
Answer: Maize
37. What do people often break after Thanksgiving dinner for luck?
Answer: The turkey wishbone
38. What do you call a baby turkey?
Answer: A poult
39. What is the name of the meal people eat in the afternoon on Thanksgiving?
Answer: Thanksgiving dinner or feast
40. What do many people do after eating Thanksgiving dinner?
Answer: Take a nap
41. What color are most Thanksgiving decorations?
Answer: Orange, brown, red, and yellow
42. What famous American wrote letters asking for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday?
Answer: Sarah Josepha Hale
43. What song did Sarah Josepha Hale also write?
Answer: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
44. What happens to the wishbone if you pull the bigger piece?
Answer: You get to make a wish!
45. What city hosts one of the biggest turkey trots (Thanksgiving races) in the U.S.?
Answer: Dallas, Texas
46. What kind of pie is made from nuts and corn syrup?
Answer: Pecan pie
47. What is the traditional sauce served on mashed potatoes?
Answer: Gravy
48. What is the name of the Native American man who helped the Pilgrims survive their first winter?
Answer: Squanto
49. What’s another term for Thanksgiving weekend shopping deals?
Answer: Black Friday sales
50. What do we celebrate most on Thanksgiving Day?
Answer: Gratitude and togetherness
Conclusion
Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and pie—it’s about family, history, and appreciating all the good things in our lives. These fun trivia questions are a great way to bring everyone together and learn something new while celebrating the season. Whether you’re challenging your friends or hosting a family quiz night, may your Thanksgiving be full of laughter, learning, and lots of leftovers! 🦃🍂
