Here at ServiceOne, we love Thanksgiving. Family. Food. Football. If you want to add even more fun, try this fun quiz and put your Thanksgiving knowledge to the test!
If you want to add competition to your feast day, divide your guests into teams and see who gets the most answers right!
Answers at the end of the quiz.
Test your Thanksgiving IQ!
True or False?
Squanto, the Indian who helped the Pilgrims, knew how to speak English because he had been to Europe.
True or False?
Squanto returned to his village to find his people thriving and welcoming him home.
True or False?
The Pilgrims learned essential survival skills from Squanto, such as fishing and cultivating corn.
True or False?
The first Thanksgiving feast included turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
True or False?
The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe shared a peaceful, harmonious relationship for decades after the first Thanksgiving.
True or False?
The Wampanoag people were the only Native American tribe to attend the first Thanksgiving.
True or False?
Canada celebrates Thanksgiving in November, just like the United States.
True or False?
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the United States.
True or False?
The first TV dinner was created because of surplus turkey after Thanksgiving.
True or False?
The Detroit Lions have hosted Thanksgiving Day football games every year since 1934.
True or False?
The tradition of pardoning a turkey by the U.S. President began during Abraham Lincoln's presidency.
True or False?
Thanksgiving celebrations around the world, such as Germany's Erntedankfest, focus primarily on feasting like in the U.S.
True or False?
Friendsgiving is a modern twist on Thanksgiving where friends gather for a casual meal.
True or False?
Turkey Trots are parades held across the country on Thanksgiving morning.
True or False?
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade started during the Great Depression to boost public morale.
True or False?
Thanksgiving became a national holiday during the presidency of George Washington.
True or False?
Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday as a way to unite the country during the Civil War.
True or False?
The Thanksgiving holiday is the busiest travel period of the year in the United States.
True or False?
The "Green Bean Casserole" was invented by Campbell's Soup Company in the 1950s.
True or False?
The Friday after Thanksgiving has been called "Black Friday" since the late 1800s.
Answer Key
True – Squanto had been kidnapped at least once and probably twice by European ships landing on the coast. He was taken back to Europe where he learned the language before returning to America.
False – Squanto returned to find his entire village wiped out by disease.Possibly smallpox, yellow fever, or bubonic plague, but recent evidence suggests that the culprit may have been Leptospirosis, a bacteria spread through dirty water.
True – Squanto taught the Pilgrims essential survival techniques like planting corn and fishing here in the “New World.”
False – The first Thanksgiving feast likely featured venison, ducks, swans, geese, and seafood, not turkey or modern sides.
False – Relations between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe were complex and later deteriorated.
False – While the Wampanoag were the main tribe present, they likely represented a larger alliance of tribes.
False – Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October.
True – Benjamin Franklin admired turkeys and wanted them to be the national bird.
True – Swanson created the first TV dinner to deal with leftover turkey in 1953.
True – The Detroit Lions have hosted Thanksgiving games since 1934.
False – The turkey pardon didn’t become formalized until George H.W. Bush in 1989.
False – Celebrations like Germany's Erntedankfest are more religious and less centered on feasting.
True – Friendsgiving has become a popular way for friends to celebrate the holiday.
False – Turkey Trots are fun runs held on Thanksgiving morning, not parades.
False – The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924, years before the Great Depression.
False – George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation, but it wasn’t made a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln.
True – Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 during the Civil War.
True – Thanksgiving weekend is the busiest travel period in the U.S.
True – Campbell’s Soup Company created the iconic green bean casserole in 1955 offering it as an inexpensive using ingredients often already on hand.
False – "Black Friday" was coined in the 1950s to describe heavy traffic and shopping activity after Thanksgiving.
ServiceOne wishes you a Happy Thanksgiving!
No matter your score, ServiceOne wishes you a satisfying and rich Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and fun.