Answers to Thanksgiving Quiz

Despite Disney’s best efforts, Davy Crockett did not invent Thanksgiving.

Here are the answers to the Thanksgiving Holiday Quiz in my most recent post.  Let me know how you did!

1..Which historical figure is most identified with Thanksgiving in America?

a. The Earl of Cranberry

b. Davy Crockett

c. The Sultan of Turkey

d. Governor William Bradford

Answer: D — Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony, who is said to have declared the colony’s first Thanksgiving feast in 1621.

2. Who  invented the green bean casserole, and when?

Dorcas Reilly’s recipe has sold countless cans of mushroom soup.

a. Betty Crocker in 1949

b. Dorcas Reilly in 1955

c.  Fanny Farmer in 1930

d. Julia Child in 1963

Answer: B — Dorcas Reilly in 1955. Reilly was a product developer for the Campbell Soup Company, where she came up with the idea for green bean casserole, which of course uses Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup.

3. Which president wrestled with Congress over whether the official date of  Thanksgiving should be the fourth Thursday in November or the final Thursday of November? (Bonus points for answering why this became such a debate.)

a. Franklin Roosevelt

b. Grover Cleveland

c. Chester A. Arthur

d. Herbert Hoover

Answer: A — Franklin Roosevelt, who wanted to move Thanksgiving up a week (from the last Thursday in November) to allow more time for Christmas retail sales to help spur the economy during the Depression. Republicans objected,  the issue became a political football (appropriate for the holiday), and they compromised on the fourth Thursday in November, which sometimes comes earlier than the last Thursday.

4. According to the National Turkey Federation, what percentage of Americans eat turkey for Thanksgiving?

a. 95 percent

b. 88 percent

c. 80 percent

d. 99 percent

B — 88 percent of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving (and, presumably, for several days after that — turkey hash or turkey soup, anyone?)

5. Approximately how many turkeys were consumed on Thanksgiving Day, 2016?

a. 44 million

b. 25 million

c. 60 million

d. 55 million

Answer: A — 44 million turkeys graced American tables on Thanksgiving, 2016.

6. What year marked the first annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York?

The Macy’s parade has been going for 93 years.

a. 1946

b. 1933

c. 1924

d. 1929

Answer: C — The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was in 1924.

7. Counting 2017, how many NFL football games have the Detroit Lions played on Thanksgiving?

a. 78

b. 65

c. 89

d. 42

Answer: A — The NFL’s Detroit Lions have played in 78 games on Thanksgiving Day; no matter which day it’s fallen on, they’ve postponed their feast so that some folks can escape their relatives for the safety of their TVs.

8.Which is usually the heavier travel day?

a. The day before Thanksgiving

b. Thanksgiving itself

Answer: B — Thanksgiving Day is the busier travel day of the two; while air traffic is much heavier on the day before Thanksgiving, most holiday travel is by car on the day itself.

Dear Readers: My new guidebook, 100 Things to Do in  Tucson Before You Die (Reedy Press, 2017) has sold out and is currently on back order at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble online. Due to a warehouse fire at Reedy Press, supplies of new books need to be replenished.