We came across some Thanksgiving fun facts and trivia that we thought would make for perfect turkey day entertainment this year! Make it a trivia game at the tail end of dinner to bring a new element of fun and competition to the festivities. To add some friendly competition to the day, you could even offer a prize to the participant with the most correct answers!
Here are the questions and answers:
Q: What other country celebrates its own version of Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October?
A: Canada. It's not nearly as prominently celebrated as in the U.S., with most people just giving thanks for the three-day weekend.
Q: True or false: The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday, is indeed the busiest shopping day of the year.
A: False. The day with the greatest volume of sales is usually the last Saturday before Christmas.
Q: The first Thanksgiving parade (in 1920) was sponsored by what department store chain?
A: Gimbels. Once the world's most profitable department store chain, and the setting for "Miracle on 34th Street,” the chain went belly-up in 1986. The first Macy’s Day Parade debuted in 1924.
Q: How many turkeys are cooked on Thanksgiving Day each year?
A: 46 million. And on Christmas Day families host an encore by cooking another 22 million. (Only the answer closest to 46 million gets a point!)
Q: Which is not a real parade somewhere in the U.S.?
(a) McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade (Chicago)
(b) FirstLight Federal Credit Union Sun Bowl Parade (El Paso)
(c) Berkshire Hathaway Parade of Thanksgiving Stars (Omaha)
(d) Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade (Philadelphia)
A: (c) Berkshire Hathaway Parade of Thanksgiving Stars (Omaha)
Q: Originating in classical mythology, the Thanksgiving icon of the cornucopia is otherwise known as a "horn of" what?
A: Plenty. Today the cornucopia might be best known as the term used for the weapons-filled starting point of the main contests in "The Hunger Games.”
Q: In 2013, for the first time, and probably the last, Thanksgiving coincided with what other holiday?
A: Hanukkah. Due to the vagaries of the Hebrew calendar, we were all lucky enough to live through the one and only Thanksgivukkah.
Q: True or false: It was Abraham Lincoln’s idea to recognize Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
A: False. In 1863, writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale (the woman behind ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’) convinced President Abraham Lincoln to officially declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She wrote countless articles and letters to persuade the president—and the rest is history!
Q: Counting Christmas Day itself, what's the greatest number of possible days between Thanksgiving and Christmas?
A: 33. If November 1 is a Thursday, Thanksgiving is the 22nd. With November having 30 days, that gives you 33 days till you have to see your in-laws again.
Q: What popular dinner craze was created due to a huge Thanksgiving mix-up?
A: TV Dinners! In 1953, a Swanson employee accidentally ordered 260 tons of turkeys. To get rid of them all, salesman Gerry Thomas came up with the idea of filling 5,000 aluminum trays with the turkey—along with cornbread dressing, gravy, peas and sweet potatoes. They were sold for 98 cents, and were a hit. Within one year, over ten million were sold.
If you decide to give this a try with your guests this year, let us know how it goes!
Hope you enjoyed the view!
Your friends at The Timberline Group