The Ultimate Thanksgiving Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
1 min
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Quiz
Image: GraphicaArtis/Archive Photos/Getty Images

About This Quiz

A table full of turkey, corn, stuffing and cranberries can only mean one thing: Thanksgiving! Aside from the tasty morsels, Thanksgiving is also a yearly celebration of gratitude that originated with the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Who made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863?
President Andrew Johnson
President Abraham Lincoln
President James Buchanan
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that Thanksgiving would be the last day in November. Lincoln was mainly out to boost the Union army's morale during the Civil War.

Why did President Franklin Roosevelt move Thanksgiving up one week earlier in 1939?
to appease businesses
to accommodate soldiers
to fit within his New Deal
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In order to appease businesses that wanted a longer Christmas shopping season, President Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week. He later compromised by making it the fourth Thursday in November.

What protein source do scholars believe was featured at the very first Thanksgiving celebration?
fish
buffalo
quail
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Venison and fish, instead of turkey, were probably the main sources of protein at that first communal gathering.

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What holiday did some Native Americans begin observing instead of Thanksgiving in 1970?
Day of Remembrance
Day of Mourning
Chieftain's Day
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Many Native Americans began a Day of Mourning to remember the violence and discrimination suffered by their ancestors.

Which state was the first to make Thanksgiving a yearly occasion before it became a national holiday?
Massachusetts
New York
New Hampshire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1817, New York officially adopted a yearly Thanksgiving day and other states followed suit.

In Greek mythology, what did the cornucopia represent?
a severed goat's horn
a basket full of the autumn harvest
a satchel belonging to Hera
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Greek mythology, the prominent Thanksgiving symbol of a cornucopia is an enchanted severed goat's horn that will produce a never-ending supply of whatever its owner desires.

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The ancient Greeks held a three-day festival every autumn to honor what goddess?
Aphrodite
Demeter
Hera
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Every autumn, the ancient Greeks held a festival honoring Demeter, the goddess of corn and grains.

What food do more than 90 percent of Americans eat on Thanksgiving?
cranberries
pumpkin pie
turkey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Turkey is such an integral part of Thanksgiving that more than 90 percent of Americans have it on their table.

What store is the sponsor of the holiday's most popular parade?
Sears
Target
Macy's
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On Thanksgiving day, thousands of people watch floats parade down the street in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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About how much turkey does a single American consume each year?
10 pounds (4.5 kilograms)
13 pounds (6 kilograms)
16 pounds (7.3 kilograms)
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the typical American consumed 13.4 pounds (6.1 kilograms) of turkey in 2004. In that same year, the typical American ate 4.7 pounds (2.1 kilograms) of sweet potatoes.

You Got:
/10
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