32 Thanksgiving Trivia Questions (Ranked From Easiest to Hardest)

Are you looking for the ultimate source of Thanksgiving trivia questions?

Finding the best Thanksgiving trivia questions is a daunting task, especially if you're hosting a holiday party or family gathering.

Whether you're looking for questions to use as icebreakers or simply want to keep the conversation flowing, we've got you covered.

Before we dive into the Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers, we want to tell you a bit about Water Cooler Trivia.

You can host a trivia night with family and friends using our Thanksgiving trivia questions.

If you're ready to give Water Cooler Trivia a try, you can sign up for a four-week free trial.

We also offer a wide range of other holiday trivia questions, like our Christmas trivia questions and Hanukkah trivia questions.

Now, onto the Thanksgiving trivia!

32 Thanksgiving Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)

1. What ingredient links a sauce served during Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, a popular variety of Wensleydale cheese, and a cocktail featured prominently in the series "Sex and the City?"
   
   Answer: Cranberries
   
   
2. What autumn holiday was described by writer O. Henry as "the one day that is purely American?"
   
   Answer: Thanksgiving
   
   
3. Whether you make it yourself with fresh tart red berries or get the stuff in a can, what’s the name given to the jam-like, relish-esque side dish that’s a Thanksgiving favorite?
   
   Answer: Cranberry Sauce
   
   
4. In 2011, an online petition was started to protest what oft-decried rock band from providing the halftime entertainment of a Thanksgiving NFL game in Detroit? More than 50,000 people signed the petition. The band's name is also a football-related term.
   
   Answer: Nickelback
   
   
5. Way before Plymouth, Spanish explorers celebrated a Thanksgiving feast with the Timicua, near the eventual site of the Castillo de San Marcos in what Atlantic Coast state?
   
   Answer: Florida
   
   
6. In what decade did both the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and America’s Thanksgiving Parade start?
   
   Answer: 1920's
   
   
7. What landmark NYC event began as a way to celebrate Christmas and as a retail expansion in 1924 before shifting earlier in the annual calendar by 1927?
   
   Answer: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
   
   
8. Eating a bucket of KFC will make you just as sleepy as a big ol' helping of Thanksgiving turkey, since most poultry contains about the same amount of what T-word amino acid?
   
   Answer: Tryptophan
   
   
9. Used as a punishment in the 2018 film "The Secret Life of Bees" and as a critical plot point in 1992's "My Cousin Vinny," what dish of boiled cornmeal came from a Native American Muskogee tribe's recipe in the 16th century?
   
   Answer: Grits
   
   
10. A Mr. Bean Christmas special bit inspired a "Friends" Thanksgiving gag of what sandwich-lovin' character getting his head stuck in a turkey?
    
    Answer: Joey
    
    
11. How do both Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and America’s Thanksgiving Parade conclude?
    
    Answer: With the arrival of Santa Claus
    
    
12. There is a Native American tribe that viewed owls as a protective symbol from danger. This tribe share its name with the setting of the TV show "Parks and Recreation." What is this tribe?
    
    Answer: Pawnee
    
    
13. In 1870, which president who was a commanding general during the Civil War signed legislation to make Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day federal holidays?
    
    Answer: Ulysses S. Grant
    
    
14. Don't say turkey: Vaccinium macrocarpon is the scientific name of what Thanksgiving staple?
    
    Answer: Cranberry
    
    
15. How many days did the first Thanksgiving celebration last?
    
    Answer: 3
    
    
16. What is the wobbly red piece of flesh on top of the beak of a turkey?
    
    Answer: A snood
    
    
17. What are turkey chicks called?
    
    Answer: Pults or turkeylings
    
    
18. Filmed on Thanksgiving by Martin Scorsese, "The Last Waltz" is a classic concert film about what classic rock band with about the most generic name ever?
    
    Answer: The Band
    
    
19. "The One With the Embryos," "The One With All the Thanksgivings," and "The One After Vegas" are notable episode titles from what long-running sitcom?
    
    Answer: Friends
    
    
20. The doughy mascot associated with canned biscuits, crescent rolls, and other unbaked confectionery has appeared as a balloon in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades since 2009. What brand, featured in his name, does he represent?
    
    Answer: Pillsbury
    
    
21. Rory and Lorelai work to squeeze in four holiday dinners in "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving," an episode from what TV series?
    
    Answer: Gilmore Girls
    
    
22. What is the earliest date on which the American federal holiday of Thanksgiving can fall?
    
    Answer: 45252
    
    
23. What year was the celebration that is most commonly considered to be the first Thanksgiving?
    
    Answer: 1621
    
    
24. Under which president did Thanksgiving become an annual holiday?
    
    Answer: Abraham Lincoln
    
    
25. Thanksgiving in the USA is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, but when is Canada’s Thanksgiving?
    
    Answer: The second Monday of October
    
    
26. A 1970 speech given by the Native American activist Frank "Wamsutta" James in Plymouth, Massachusetts marked the inaugural National Day of Mourning demonstration. On what important day in the American calendar does this demonstration take place annually?
    
    Answer: Thanksgiving
    
    
27. What president officially made Thanksgiving a US national holiday, marking the last Thursday in November on everybody’s calendar? This president had particular pressure to bring the country together for a friendly dinner.
    
    Answer: Abraham Lincoln
    
    
28. What state raises the most turkeys?
    
    Answer: Minnesota
    
    
29. Which president was the first to give a turkey a presidential pardon?
    
    Answer: Ronald Reagan
    
    
30. Who directed the 1986 film "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", which showcased the disasters of Thanksgiving weekend traveling that starred John Candy and Steve Martin?
    
    Answer: John Hughes
    
    
31. In what century were the first pumpkin pies as we know them made?
    
    Answer: 17th century
    
    
32. According to the Lydia Child poem "Thanksgiving Day," it's just "over the river, and through the wood" to reach the house of what relative?
    
    Answer: Grandfather
    

What makes Thanksgiving trivia so engaging?

For one, it's a holiday that everyone can relate to.

Thanksgiving is a time when friends and family come together to feast on delicious food and share memories.

It's also a time to reflect on what we're grateful for.

This holiday spirit makes Thanksgiving the perfect time to host a trivia night.

Not only will you be able to bond with your loved ones, but you'll also be able to test your knowledge of all things Thanksgiving.

Where can you find the best Thanksgiving trivia for kids?

If you're looking for Thanksgiving trivia questions for kids, you can find them right here at Water Cooler Trivia.

We offer a wide range of trivia question sets that are perfect for kids of all ages.

Our trivia sets are ideal for family gatherings, holiday parties, and more.

Using Water Cooler Trivia, you can receive a new trivia quiz every week, straight to your inbox.

Get started with a free four-week trial today!