dtucker300 Loc: Vista, CA

Thanksgiving is the quintessential American holiday and one of our favorite days of the year. But do you know the origins of this beloved holiday, why we celebrate it, and how it shaped our history?

Take this short quiz and let’s put your Thanksgiving knowledge to the test!

Question 1:

This group of people is credited for celebrating the first-ever Thanksgiving around the year 1621.
A
The Mayans
B
The Dutch
C
The Pagans
D
The Pilgrims

Question 2:

Where did the Pilgrims establish their first settlement and celebrate their first Thanksgiving?
A
Jamestown, Virginia
B
Plymouth, Massachusetts
C
Boston, Massachusetts
D
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Question 3:

What was the name of the tribe that celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?
A
Wampanoag
B
Iroquois
C
Cherokee
D
Sioux


Question 4
This Native American is remembered as a key figure in the first-ever Thanksgiving for his role in helping the newly arrived Pilgrims establish the Plymouth Colony and fostering peaceful relations with the neighboring Wampanoag tribe.
A
Red Cloud
B
Tonto
C
Geronimo
D
Squanto

Question 5:

In 1863, which president issued a proclamation that established Thanksgiving as a national holiday and designated the last Thursday of November as the official date for its celebration?
A
John Adams
B
Ulysses S. Grant
C
Abraham Lincoln
D
Andrew Johnson

Question 6:

What is the term for the decorative centerpiece that is often placed on the Thanksgiving table, featuring fruits, vegetables, and other items as a symbol of abundance?
A
Harvest Bouquet
B
Kaleidoscope
C
Cornucopia
D
Plethora

Bonus Question! Rank these Thanksgiving side dishes:
D**g and drop to rank options

-Mashed potatoes and gravy

-Mac & Cheese

-Cranberry Sauce

-Stuffing

-Corn Bread








1)
The Pilgrims were English Separatists who had resided in Holland before undertaking their journey to the New World. It is often claimed that the Pilgrims journeyed to America in order to escape religious persecution. While this played a role in the Pilgrims' decision to immigrate to America, the primary factor driving them out of Holland was the concern that their children might be morally corrupted by the materialistic Dutch culture.

Thus, in 1620, the Pilgrims embarked on their journey to the New World with a vision of establishing a new, purer Christian community where they could live according to their beliefs and principles.

2)
The Pilgrims originally planned to settle in the northern part of the Virginia Colony, which was an English colonial territory at the time. However, due to unfavorable weather conditions and navigational challenges, they eventually landed in what is now known as Plymouth, Massachusetts, in December 1620. This unplanned landing eventually led to the establishment of Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest English settlements in North America.

3)
The celebration we now refer to as “The First Thanksgiving” involved a three-day harvest festival in October, which may have been inspired by the Biblical holiday of Sukkot, or The Feast of Tabernacles. About 90 hungry Wampanoag Indian warriors joined the 53 surviving Pilgrims for this occasion (nearly half the colonists had died during the brutal winter).

The Englishmen provided some vegetables, fish, and perhaps wild turkeys, while the natives brought five recently hunted deer as house gifts.

4)
Squanto was a Native American from the Patuxet tribe (which was part of the Wampanoag confederacy) and he is best known for being an early liaison between the Wampanoags and the Pilgrims.

Squanto had grown up in the village that would later become Plymouth Colony. Early in his life, Squanto was captured by a ruthless sea captain who kidnapped him and sold him into s***ery in Spain. After a few years, he was freed by kindly monks, then made his way to England, and finally sailed across the Atlantic—only to find his friends and family all wiped out by disease when he arrived home in 1619. The leader of Plymouth Colony believed Squanto was “a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation.”

5)
On October 3, 1863, during the American Civil War, President Lincoln issued a p**********l proclamation that established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In this proclamation, he set the date for Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the final Thursday of November.

Now, we celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November, but this marked the beginning of the tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving on a specific day, and it's an important part of the history of the holiday in the United States. President Lincoln's proclamation was aimed at fostering a sense of unity and gratitude during a difficult period in the nation's history.

6)
The cornucopia, also known as the "Horn of Plenty," is a symbol often associated with Thanksgiving. It is typically depicted as a large, curved horn overflowing with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and other harvest-related items. The cornucopia is used in Thanksgiving decorations and table centerpieces to represent the bountiful harvest and the spirit of gratitude that is central to the holiday.

7)
There's no right or wrong answer when it comes to Thanksgiving sides!

However, we do know someone who has some rather strong opinions on the subject. During a special 2021 Thanksgiving episode of Fireside Chat, Dennis Prager shared his personal preference for Thanksgiving sides during a memorable game of This or That. This is what Dennis had to say on the subject:

• Cranberry sauce or turkey gravy: For Dennis this was an easy one—cranberry sauce. Phrased in a way that only Dennis can, turkey 🍗 without cranberry is like a man without a woman. Despite Dennis’s enthusiasm for cranberry sauce, not everyone on the PragerU staff agrees.

• Bread Rolls or Cornbread: Cornbread. Who would opt between the two for regular bread over cornbread?

• Sweet potatoes with marshmallows or mashed potatoes with gravy: Mashed potatoes with gravy wins this round, but only because Dennis can't stand marshmallows. If it was just sweet potato vs. mashed potato, Dennis would take sweet potato.

• Is it called stuffing or dressing: 😬 You may disagree, but according to Dennis, anyone who calls stuffing “dressing” is just wrong. Dressing is what you put on salad!

• Pumpkin pie or pecan pie: According to Dennis, pumpkin pie is served in heaven upon arrival. If God really likes you, then you get pumpkin pie 😇.

That's all for this round of this or that! From everyone at PragerU, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving full of delicious food, laughter, friends, and family. Most importantly, we hope you set aside a few minutes during this quintessential American holiday to remember what you’re grateful for this Thanksgiving.

LostAggie66 Loc: Corpus Christi, TX (Shire of Seawinds)

(1)D (2)B (3) A (4) D (5) C (6) C.... BONUS: Stuffing,Cranberry Sauce, Mac/cheese, cornbread, mashed potatos and gravy....(No but yes to yams or baked sweet potatoes)...Oh No...ALWays Pecan Pie Wishing to all on OPP a happy and safe thanksgiving to your families and friends. Thanks tucker for posting this...and to All of Us God Bless America!

Loneeyes Loc: Texas

My grandaughter came home from school two weeks ago and asked if I knew the Thanksgiving story . I said yes, did she?
She proceeded to tell me that there were poor people who didn't have any food and the rich people came in and gave them food and showed them how to grow food because they didn't know how to grow food.
I asked where she came by that bit of wisdom ? She replied "My teacher". I am offended ......