The iconic Norman Rockwell “Freedom From Want” ilustration, 1943.

Just what do you know about the history and tradition of Thanksgiving and the turkey?

1.  Which wild bird was NOT on the Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving menu?  a) turkey; b) duck; c) goose; d) bald eagle

2. Which U.S. President established Thanksgiving as an annual holiday? a) George Washington; b) Abraham Lincoln; c) Franklin D. Roosevelt; d) Theodore Roosevelt

3.  What year did the Pilgrims celebrate the first Thanksgiving? a) 1620; b) 1621; c)1622; d) 1630

4.  Who was the governor of the Plymouth Colony at the time of the first Thanksgiving celebration? a) Miles Standish; b) John Alden; c) William Bradford; d) Mitt Romney

5.  What did the Pilgrims call their new colony? a) Plymouth Colony; b) Jamestown; c) Roanoke; d) Cape Cod

6.   Friendly natives from which tribe were invited to the Pilgrims’ Thanksgiving celebration? a) Wampanoag;  b) Iroquois; c) Patauxet; d) Algonquin

7.  What was the name of the ship the Pilgrims took to reach America? a) The Speedwell; b) The Bounty; c)The Godspeed; d) The Mayflower

8.  When do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving? a) Same as in the U.S.; b) Second Monday of November; c) Second Monday of October; d) Fourth Thursday of October

9.  The first department store to sponsor a Thanksgiving Day Parade was? a) J. C. Penny’s; b) Gimbel’s; c) Macey’s; Montgomery Ward

10. What part of a turkey is saved and snapped as a superstitious good luck charm?

11. The real Plymouth Rock is cracked… True or False?

12. Thanksgiving is a religious holiday… True or False?

13. Why is the male turkey often referred to as “Tom Turkey”?

14. Which President referring to the turkey given to him for the White House said, “Let’s just keep him.”  a) Lincoln; b) FDR; c) Truman;  d) JFK

15. Turkeys can drown if they look up in the rain… True or False?

16. In 1943, Norman Rockwell created his famous “Freedom From Want” illustration using a Thanksgiving dinner for his example. The illustration first appeared as the cover of what magazine?

17. Which sporting event was part of early Thanksgiving celebrations? a) shooting; b) archery; c) knife throwing; d) football

18. The first Thanksgiving football game was played in 1934? Which team started this tradtion?

19. Baby turkeys are called? a) chicks; b) poults; c) tommies; d) they don’t have a name

20. What team does Lowell High School now play on Thanksgiving Day? Formerly?

Answers:

1. d) the bald eagle;  2. b) A. Lincoln;  3. b) 1621;  4. c) William Bradford;  5. a) Plymouth Colony ; 6. a) Wampaoag; 7. d) The Mayflower; 8. c) second Monday of October;  9. b) Gimbel’s; 10. Wishbone; 11. True –  in an attempt to put it on a pedestal; 12. False; 13. Ben Franklin mockingly used the term referring to Thomas Jefferson who refused to consider his idea to have the turkey our national bird! 14. JFK; 15. True; 16. The Saturday Evening Post; 17. a) shooting; 18. the Detroit Lions (played the Chicago Bears); 19. b) poults; 20. Haverhill High School for the last 15 years formerly played Lawrence High School

Have a wonderful, joyful Thanksgiving Day – 2012!