Thanksgiving Trivia 2026: 20 Questions and Answers From USDA Data

Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, and these 20 trivia questions use 2025 figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and records of the National Archives. The Census Bureau had not posted a Thanksgiving Facts for Features edition for 2026 as of Nov. 15, so the older Census numbers other quizzes repeat are left out. Every answer names its source and data year, and a free one-page quiz prints with the answers on a cut-off strip.

Thanksgiving trivia questions on turkeys and cranberries

1. How many turkeys did USDA expect farmers to raise in 2025? About 195 million, down 3% from 2024. The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) said in its Sept. 26, 2025 “Turkeys Raised” report that the 2025 number “is forecasted at 195 million.”
2. Which state raised the most turkeys in 2025? Minnesota, at 32 million (NASS, Sept. 26, 2025 forecast).
3. Which state raised 28 million turkeys in 2025? North Carolina (NASS, 2025).
4. How many pounds of turkey did the United States produce in 2025? 4.84 billion pounds, ready-to-cook weight, according to the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), updated Oct. 21, 2026.
5. How much turkey was available per person in 2025? 13.2 pounds (ERS, 2025). ERS counts availability, which is not the same as what people eat.
6. Did that figure rise or fall from 2020? It fell. ERS lists 15.7 pounds in 2020, 13.8 in 2024 and 13.2 in 2025.
7. How many barrels of cranberries did U.S. growers produce in 2025? 7,508,000 barrels, or about 7.5 million (NASS Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts 2025 Summary, May 2026).
8. Which state grew the most cranberries? Wisconsin, with 4,605,000 barrels (NASS, 2025).
9. How much does a cranberry barrel hold? 100 pounds, so the 2025 U.S. crop was 375,400 tons (NASS, 2025).
10. Which state was second for cranberries? Massachusetts, with 1,925,000 barrels (NASS, 2025).

Thanksgiving trivia questions on pumpkins and history

11. How many pounds of pumpkins did the United States produce in 2025? About 1.47 billion pounds, according to ERS, updated Sept. 29, 2026.
12. Which state led pumpkin production? Illinois, at about 533 million pounds (ERS, 2025).
13. Which state came second? California, at about 162 million pounds (ERS, 2025).
14. On what date did Abraham Lincoln issue his Thanksgiving proclamation? Oct. 3, 1863, according to the National Archives’ DocsTeach.
15. Which day did Lincoln name? He set apart “the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.”
16. What changed in 1939? The National Archives’ Center for Legislative Archives says “the last Thursday in November fell on the last day of the month,” which was Nov. 30. President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday a week earlier to lengthen the Christmas shopping season.
17. When did the fourth-Thursday rule become law? The House passed a joint resolution on Oct. 6, 1941, and the Senate amended it to “the fourth Thursday.” “President Roosevelt signed the resolution on December 26, 1941.” Since 1941 the holiday has been the fourth Thursday of November.
18. Between which two dates can Thanksgiving fall? Nov. 22 and Nov. 28, which follows from the fourth-Thursday rule (our calculation).
19. What are the next two Thanksgiving dates? Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 and Thursday, Nov. 25, 2027 (our calculation). See when Thanksgiving falls each year.
20. In what year did George H.W. Bush pardon a turkey at the White House? 1989. At the Nov. 17, 1989 proclamation signing, he said the turkey had been “granted a Presidential pardon,” according to his presidential library. The 2026 ceremony is covered in the turkey pardon 2026 story.

Which states lead turkeys, cranberries and pumpkins?

Rank	Turkeys raised, 2025 (NASS forecast)	Cranberries, 2025 (NASS)	Pumpkins, 2025 (ERS)
1	Minnesota, 32 million	Wisconsin, 4,605,000 barrels	Illinois, about 533 million pounds
2	North Carolina, 28 million	Massachusetts, 1,925,000 barrels	California, about 162 million pounds
3	Arkansas, 22 million	Oregon, 529,000 barrels	Indiana, about 135 million pounds
4	Indiana, 20 million	New Jersey, 449,000 barrels	Michigan, about 115 million pounds
5	Not listed in our source	Not listed in our source	Pennsylvania, about 105 million pounds

Indiana is on two lists: fourth for turkeys and third for pumpkins.

How has turkey availability per person changed?

Year	Pounds per person (availability)	Source
2020	15.7	ERS, Oct. 21, 2026
2024	13.8	ERS, Oct. 21, 2026
2025	13.2	ERS, Oct. 21, 2026

Each row is lower than the one before it.

What does the free Thanksgiving trivia printable include?

The one-page quiz picks 12 of the 20 questions above (1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 20) and leaves a write-in line for each. The answers sit on a cut-off strip at the bottom. Pair it with the Thanksgiving printables for the kids’ table, and for the date reasoning read why Thanksgiving 2026 is Nov. 26. Mark the day on the November 2026 printable calendar.