Question 1: What are turkeys given as part of a Thanksgiving tradition?
- A pardon
- A special last meal
- A presidential commendation
Correct Answer: A pardon
Fact: Presenting one or two live turkeys to US presidents has been a Thanksgiving custom since the 1940s. President George H.W. Bush added a twist in 1989: the presidential turkey pardon. It wasn’t the first time a turkey had been spared by a president or a first lady, but Bush made the pardon official and began the annual tradition.
Question 2: Which US president officially made Thanksgiving a national holiday?
- Thomas Jefferson
- Abraham Lincoln
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Correct Answer: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Fact: Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a US holiday by various presidential proclamations going back to George Washington. Lincoln is credited with creating the modern holiday. Roosevelt, however, was the president who signed a bill designating the fourth Thursday in November as a national holiday.
Question 3: Which country also celebrates Thanksgiving?
- Germany
- Norway
- France
Correct Answer: Germany
Fact: Many know that Canada celebrates Thanksgiving, but some other countries and regions also have their own versions of the holiday. Germany and parts of Austria and Switzerland celebrate Erntedankfest, or ‘harvest thanksgiving festival,’ in mid-September or early October.