At large holiday gatherings, we often play trivia, using questions that we know folks in our family will know–so, in our family, you’ll see questions about farming, Kansas history, and family lore. You can download our Thanksgiving trivia questions or make your own, of course. Our rule is teams of 2 people of different households and different generations on each team to ensure that folks are mingling.
Names:
With your partner, answer as many questions as you can correctly without consulting the internet. When you’re done, hand this sheet to your house. Your host is the sole arbiter of correct answers and has the authority to add points for inaccurate but creative responses!
| 1 | Who is one person here today who has a fall birthday? | ||
| 2 | What is one nickname for the November full moon? | ||
| 3 | Chlorophyll makes leaves green. What makes them yellow, orange, and red? | ||
| 4 | Companion planting is the practice of planting crops that benefit each other together. “Three sisters” are three crops that were traditionally planted together in native American cultures. What were the three vegetables planted together? | ||
| 5 | What is one Big 12 college mascot that is NOT a mammal or bird? (Remember that humans are mammals!) | ||
| 6 | It takes between ___ and ____ apples to make a gallon of cider. (Hint: Choose a range of 10, such as 1-10 or 100-110). | ||
| 7 | Of all the trees in the US, what kind of firewood generates the most BTUs? | ||
| 8 | Which is more nutritious: yams or sweet potatoes? | ||
| 9 | Pepitas are dried ____________. | ||
| 10 | What key ingredient does Texas chili lack that chili in most other places always includes? | ||
| 11 | Which president issued a national proclamation making Thanksgiving a federal holiday? | ||
| 12 | How many pecks are in a bushel? | ||
| 13 | Which American novel’s opening chapter describes the main character’s motivation to embark on an adventure this way:
Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people’s hats off–then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can.” |
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| 14 | In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the date of Thanksgiving from the fourth to the third Thursday of the month, a practice that was reversed in 1941. Why did he do this? (Bonus points if you know the derisive nickname his experiment was labeled with!) | ||
| 15 | About how many cranberries are in a pound? (Closest guess, whether over or under, wins!) | ||
| 16 | Which state produces the most cranberries? | ||
| 17 | The world record for largest ____________ is 2,624.6 pounds | ||
| 18 | What kind of cheese is often served with apple pie–or even shredded and added to the crust? | ||
| 19 | What company staffs a hotline each Thanksgiving just to answer questions about turkey preparation? | ||
| 20 | If you serve a chicken inside a turkey inside a duck, what dish are your guests eating? | ||
| 21 | Beauregard, Red Garnet, Murasaki, and Jewel are kinds of __________. | ||
| 22 | Are we currently using standard or daylight savings time? | ||
| 23 | What holiday that is NOT Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October? | ||
| 24 | Traditionally, we consider a 1621 meal shared by native Americans and English Pilgrims as the first celebration. What native tribe participated in this meal? | ||
| 25 | According to folklore, the more black on ________ ________ ________, the harsher winter will be. |
