When our family sits down to dinner with guests we like to play a game called “Family Dinner.” I bought it at Judy’s Cottage in Annandale a few years ago. The game has 82 questions; we each draw one question and take turns going around the table answering all the questions.
Recently we had the question about the “greatest invention of our time” I said toilet paper and my daughter said straws…. I argued that my answer was better because I could easily go two weeks without using a straw but I wouldn’t last a day without TP!
These conversations are a lot of fun and it has helped me get to know my family and friends in ways you’d never imagine. I found this list of great Thanksgiving Trivia to get the conversation started at your house over the holidays.
According to popular legend, where did the male “tom” turkey get its name? Benjamin Franklin named it after Thomas Jefferson after Jefferson rejected the turkey as the national bird.
At the first thanksgiving, were there more pilgrims or Indians enjoying the meal? Indians. Over 50 percent of the pilgrims had died.
By the 19th century celebrating Thanksgiving is said to have been the origin of what table tradition? The kiddie table.
Did the Mayflower dock at Plymouth Rock? No, the water was too shallow. But, Plymouth Rock was the first place the pilgrims set foot onto the New World.
Did the pilgrims take beer with them on their crossing? Yes, John Alden was a cooper who made barrels.
Did the pilgrims actually wear those funny buckles and hats? No, however, no one knows how this look originated.
How fast can a spooked turkey run? 20 miles per hour.
How many days was the voyage from England to the New World? 66 days.
How many degrees can a turkey see with its eyes? 270 degrees. So they can see behind them.
How many pilgrims were on the Mayflower as it began? 102.
How many pilgrim women are believed to have survived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving? Only five survived and they all cooked the meat.
Is Thanksgiving a religious celebration? No, it is a harvest celebration not associated with any religion.
Is Thanksgiving only celebrated in the United States? No, Canada observes the holiday as well.
Of the 102 pilgrims who set out on the journey to the New World, how many survived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving? Around 50.
Plymouth Rock is how big today? The size of a car engine. It has cracked three times over the years, each time getting smaller and smaller.
What vegetable did the pilgrims have available for Thanksgiving but did not use because they thought it was poisonous? Potatoes. May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump, may your potatoes and gravy have nary a lump, may your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize, may your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of our thighs!
Unknown
Taste of Home columnist Sandy (Anderson) Holthaus lives on a farm in South Haven, MN with her husband, Michael, and their children Zoe, Jack and Ben. Her heart remains on the North Shore where she grew up with her parents, Art and LaVonne Anderson of Schroeder. She enjoys writing about her childhood and mixes memories with delicious helpings of home-style recipes.
Leave a Reply