As you prepare for the potential onslaught of relatives on Thanksgiving, here are a few questions you might ponder to steer conversations away from politics.
- Information about the first Thanksgiving came from the diary of
- a. Sarah Josepha Hale
- b.William Bradford
- c. Abraham Lincoln
- d. J.L. Ferris
- How long did the first Thanksgiving celebration last?
- a. one day
- b. two days
- c. three days
- d. four days
- Thanksgiving became a national holiday in
- a. 1621
- b. 1789
- c. 1863
- d. 1941
- In what year did the Macy’s Day parade start?
- a. 1918
- b. 1924
- c. 1938
- d. 1943
- Which president was the first to give a turkey a presidential pardon?
- a. Lyndon Johnson
- b. Richard Nixon
- c. Ronald Reagan
- d. George H.W. Bush
- What American state produces the most turkeys?
- a. Wisconsin
- b. Iowa
- c. Michigan
- d. Minnesota
- What state was the first to adopt Thanksgiving as an annual holiday?
- a. New York
- b. New Jersey
- c. Pennsylvania
- d. Massachusetts
- What is a snood?
- a. A lined leather hat worn by Pilgrims
- b. An Indian pouch for carrying food
- c. The skin above and possibly below a turkey’s bill
- d. A significant catch of seafood
- Why do turkey’s gobble?
- a. Male turkeys gobble to attract mates
- b. Male turkeys gobble to announce danger
- c. Female turkeys gobble to warn off predators
- d. Female turkeys gobble to call back the brood
- What was the first department store to have a Thanksgiving Day parade?
- a. Gimbel’s
- b. Macy’s
- c. Sears
- d. Barney’s
Answers
(1) Information about the first Thanksgiving came from the diary of
- a. Sarah Josepha Hale
- b.William Bradford
- c. Abraham Lincoln
- d. J.L. Ferris
b. William Bradford
William Bradford (Plymouth, Massachusetts governor) provided details in his manuscript of a food harvest in the fall of 1621. He described a celebratory feast with the local Wampanoag to give thanks for the abundance of food. Editor Sarah Josepha Hale discovered his diary in the 1800s and campaigned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday. (She is the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” and is known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving.”) Abraham Lincoln later declared it a national holiday. J. L. Ferris produced an idealized painting of the event in 1932.
(2) How long did the first Thanksgiving celebration last?
- a. one day
- b. two days
- c. three days
- d. four days
c. three days
The first Thanksgiving happened earlier in the year—perhaps late September—and had an estimated 20 European and 90 Native Americans attending. It has long been portrayed as a peaceful dinner, but some take issue with it masking the bloody conflict between the groups.
(3) Thanksgiving became a national holiday in
- a. 1621
- b. 1789
- c. 1863
- d. 1941
c. 1863
During the Civil War, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a bona fide, official holiday in 1863. Of course, there had been previous celebrations. In fact, George Washington “suggested” in 1789 that Thanksgiving should be an (unofficial) national holiday. Another declaration came in 1941, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November. (It had previously been celebrated on the last Thursday of November, even in months with five Thursdays.)
(4) In what year did the Macy’s Day parade start?
- a. 1918
- b. 1924
- c. 1938
- d. 1943
b. 1924
The first Macy’s Day parade was actually on Christmas in 1924. It traveled with Central Park zoo animals for a six-mile stretch in Manhattan. Even with the Great Depression, this parade continued to grow during the 1930s. NBC began to broadcast it in 1939.
(5) Which president was the first to give a turkey a presidential pardon?
- a. Lyndon Johnson
- b. Richard Nixon
- c. Ronald Reagan
- d. George H.W. Bush
c. Ronald Reagan
While several presidents freed Thanksgiving turkeys or gave them to petting farms, Ronald Reagan was the first president to use the word ‘pardon’ as part of the turkey celebration. President George H.W. Bush began the official pardoning process in 1989. There are some reports that President John F. Kennedy pardoned the turkey he received, but he was assassinated three days later.
(6) What American state produces the most turkeys?
- a. Wisconsin
- b. Iowa
- c. Michigan
- d. Minnesota
d. Minnesota
Six states produce nearly two-thirds of all turkeys sold in the United States. Minnesota leads the nation, with 44 million turkeys. The United States is the largest exporter of turkeys, with Mexico being the dominant export market.
(7) What state was the first to adopt Thanksgiving as an annual holiday?
- a. New York
- b. New Jersey
- c. Pennsylvania
- d. Massachusetts
a. New York
Decades before Thanksgiving became a national jubilee, New York, in 1817, was the first of several states to adopt it as an official holiday.
(8) What is a snood?
- a. A lined leather hat worn by Pilgrims
- b. An Indian pouch for carrying food
- c. The skin above and possibly below a turkey’s bill
- d. A significant catch of seafood
c. The skin above and possibly below a turkey’s bill
According to Wikipedia, “the snood is an erectile, fleshy protuberance on the forehead of turkeys. Most of the time when the turkey is in a relaxed state, the snood is pale and 2-3 cm long. However, when the male begins strutting (the courtship display), the snood engorges with blood, becomes redder and elongates several centimeters, hanging well below the beak.”
(9) Why do turkey’s gobble?
- a. Male turkeys gobble to attract mates
- b. Male turkeys gobble to announce danger
- c. Female turkeys gobble to warn off predators
- d. Female turkeys gobble to call back the brood
a. Male turkeys gobble to attract mates
Female turkeys do not gobble. Only males do. Each gobbler has a unique call to attract females during mating season. Females, on the other hand, make a clicking sound.
(10) What was the first department store to have a Thanksgiving Day parade?
- a. Gimbel’s
- b. Macy’s
- c. Sears
- d. Barney’s
a. Gimbel’s
The Gimbel’s department store sponsored a Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1920, and continued to do so until it closed operations in 1986. The parade continued under other sponsorships, and is currently held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and aired by ABC.