Thanksgiving trivia 2025: 33 fun questions (with answers) to liven up your feast

Ready to test the table? Here’s a fresh, family-friendly Thanksgiving trivia set you can play anywhere — before the parade, during halftime, or while the pies are cooling. Mix easy openers with a few stumpers, then tally up bragging rights.

History & origins

1. On what day of the week is Thanksgiving observed in the United States?
   Answer: Thursday.

2. Which week of November is it tied to?
   Answer: The fourth Thursday of November.

3. Which year is widely taught as the date of the harvest feast shared by Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag?
   Answer: 1621.

4. Which U.S. president made Thanksgiving a recurring national observance in the 19th century?
   Answer: Abraham Lincoln (proclamation in 1863).

5. Which later president briefly moved the holiday earlier to boost shopping season, creating “Franksgiving”?
   Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt (late 1930s).

6. True or false: Turkey was the only meat served at the 1621 feast.
   Answer: False. Multiple meats and seafood were likely present; menus were varied.

Food & table talk

7. What do male turkeys famously do that hens generally don’t?
   Answer: “Gobble” (the classic call).

8. Which pie is more popular nationally at Thanksgiving: apple or pumpkin?
   Answer: Apple edges out pumpkin in many surveys — but it’s close enough to spark debates.

9. What berry native to North America is a staple on many Thanksgiving tables?
   Answer: Cranberry.

10. Green bean casserole was created to promote which pantry ingredient?
    Answer: Condensed cream-of-mushroom soup.

11. What’s the common kitchen term for small bread cubes dried for stuffing?
    Answer: Croutons or dried bread cubes (either earns the point).

12. What kitchen tool is essential for checking if the turkey is safely cooked?
    Answer: A meat thermometer.

13. Bonus speed round — name three traditional sides in 10 seconds.
    Answer: Any three like mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, sweet potatoes, rolls, mac & cheese, corn, Brussels sprouts.

Parade & pageantry

14. Which city hosts the most-watched Thanksgiving morning parade?
    Answer: New York City.

15. What year did that parade first step off under its modern branding roots?
    Answer: 1924.

16. What signature feature joined the parade a few years later and quickly became iconic?
    Answer: Giant character balloons (introduced in the 1920s).

17. Which performer traditionally closes the parade?
    Answer: Santa Claus.

18. True or false: Wind can force special safety rules for balloons.
    Answer: True. Wind thresholds can ground or lower balloons.

Football & festivities

19. Which NFL team has hosted a Thanksgiving game every year since the 1930s (wartime pause excepted)?
    Answer: The Detroit Lions (home on Thanksgiving since 1934, with a World War II interruption).

20. Which team joined as a regular Thanksgiving host in the 1960s?
    Answer: The Dallas Cowboys.

21. Since 2006, what new TV window became a holiday fixture?
    Answer: A prime-time Thanksgiving night game.

22. What’s the traditional name many fans give the holiday trio of NFL games?
    Answer: The Thanksgiving slate (or the Thanksgiving Classic).

23. College or pro: which level played Thanksgiving games first?
    Answer: College football had earlier holiday traditions; the NFL followed in its early decades.

Presidents, proclamations & quirks

24. What ceremonial bird does the White House sometimes “spare” each year?
    Answer: A turkey (the presidential turkey pardon).

25. Which founding father once praised the turkey as a “more respectable” bird than the eagle (paraphrased)?
    Answer: Benjamin Franklin.

26. Which national observance pairs naturally with Thanksgiving weekend and kicks off the holiday shopping rush?
    Answer: Black Friday (followed by Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday).

Geography & harvest

27. Which U.S. region is most associated with cranberries’ commercial bogs?
    Answer: New England and the Upper Midwest.

28. Which state frequently ranks among the top producers of turkeys?
    Answer: Minnesota (others often near the top include North Carolina and Arkansas).

29. What grain, central to many stuffings, was a staple crop in early American colonies?
    Answer: Wheat (you can also accept corn/maize for early staples, depending on recipe tradition).

Etiquette, timing & table games

30. What’s a polite way to keep the feast moving when dishes are far away?
    Answer: Say “please pass the ___,” rather than reaching.

31. If a recipe says “rest the turkey,” what does that mean?
    Answer: Let it sit off heat so juices redistribute before carving.

32. What easy, no-prep activity can make everyone share a moment of gratitude?
    Answer: Go around the table and have each person name one thing they’re thankful for.

33. Bonus tiebreaker: What weekday will Thanksgiving fall on next year?
    Answer: Still Thursday — every year.

How to play at the table

• Pick a host to read each section.

• Assign points: 1 point per correct answer; award half-points for near-misses you pre-define.

• Add a “steal” rule: if the first team misses, the other side can try.

• Crown a champion: first to 15 points (or play the full 33 and tally up).

Printable quick key (for the host)

1-6) Thu; 4th Thu; 1621; Lincoln; FDR; False.
7-13) Male turkeys; Apple; Cranberry; Cream-of-mushroom soup; Croutons/dried cubes; Meat thermometer; Any 3 sides.
14-18) NYC; 1924; Balloons; Santa; True.
19-23) Lions; Cowboys; Night game; Thanksgiving slate/Classic; College first.
24-26) Turkey; Franklin; Black Friday.
27-29) New England/Upper Midwest; Minnesota; Wheat (accept corn/maize per recipe).
30-33) “Please pass…”; Resting redistributes juices; Name one gratitude; Thursday.

Happy quizzing — and happy Thanksgiving!