Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and Thanksgiving 2020 occurs on Thursday, November 26. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

Multiple Choice

In what year did the first Thanksgiving take place?

• 1999

• 1621

• 1543

• 1853

National Holiday

For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

Multiple Choice

Which President declared Thanksgiving a national holiday?

• George Washington

• Andrew Jackson

• Thomas Jefferson

• Abraham Lincoln

The Mayflower

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying 102 passengers—an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World.

Multiple Choice

How many passengers were on the Mayflower?

• 102

• 25

• 77

• 1,932

Landing at Plymouth

After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted 66 days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth

Multiple Choice

After 66 days where did the Mayflower drop anchor?

• Jamestown

• Hudson River

• Cape Cod

• St Augustine

First Winter

Throughout that first brutal winter, most of the colonists remained on board the ship, where they suffered from exposure, scurvy and outbreaks of contagious disease. Only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring. In March, the remaining settlers moved ashore, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Native American who greeted them in English. 

Multiple Choice

What percentage of pilgrims survived the first winter?

• 100

• 95

• 0

• 50

First Thanksgiving

In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proved successful, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. Now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”—although the Pilgrims themselves may not have used the term at the time—the festival lasted for three days.

Multiple Choice

How many days did the first Thanksgiving last?

• 10

• 3

• 1

• 30

Food

Historians have suggested that many of the dishes were likely prepared using traditional Native American spices and cooking methods. Because the Pilgrims had no oven and the Mayflower’s sugar supply had dwindled by the fall of 1621, the meal did not feature pies, cakes or other desserts, which have become a hallmark of contemporary celebrations

Multiple Choice

Which type of food was probably NOT at the first Thanksgiving?

• Berries

• Corn

• Deer

• Pie

Turkey

Today, however, nearly 90 percent of Americans eat the bird—whether roasted, baked or deep-fried—on Thanksgiving, according to the National Turkey Federation. Other traditional foods include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is a common Thanksgiving Day activity, and communities often hold food drives and host free dinners for the less fortunate.

Multiple Choice

What percentage of people eat Turkey at Thanksgiving

• 50

• 90

• 25

• 100

Parade

Parades have also become an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United States. Presented by Macy’s department store since 1924, New York City’s Thanksgiving Day parade is the largest and most famous, attracting some 2 to 3 million spectators along its 2.5-mile route and drawing an enormous television audience. It typically features marching bands, performers, elaborate floats conveying various celebrities and giant balloons shaped like cartoon characters.

Multiple Choice

In what year was the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

• 1924

• 1833

• 1876

• 1955