I spend hours in the oven without ever cooking. I'm buried in the bird but I'm not part of it, I'm small and red, and when I finally stand up, somebody yells 'Dinner!' What am I?
Hint: I'm made of plastic.
AnswerA pop-up turkey timerA pop-up timer is pushed into the turkey and pops out when the meat is done.
I'm a fork with only two prongs, and nobody eats with me. I'm left out to dry for days, then two people grab my arms and pull until I snap, and only one of them walks away expecting a dream to come true. What am I?
Hint: I come from the turkey after dinner.
AnswerThe wishboneA turkey's wishbone is a two-pronged, fork-shaped bone that's dried after dinner, then two people pull it apart, and whoever gets the bigger piece gets their wish.
I'm named after a spring bloom, yet I'm famous for a trip that began in September. I carried about 100 passengers for 66 days, and before anyone stepped ashore, the men aboard signed an agreement that still bears my name. What am I?
Hint: Think of a flower that blooms in May.
AnswerThe MayflowerThe Mayflower left Plymouth, England, in September 1620 with about 102 passengers, took about 66 days to cross, and the Mayflower Compact was signed aboard before the Pilgrims landed.
I'm a dessert whose main ingredient might have been a porch decoration a month ago, or a fairy-tale carriage. I'm spiced, I'm sliced and I'm usually wearing a white swirl. What am I?
Hint: I'm the star of the dessert table.
AnswerPumpkin piePumpkins are carved for Halloween, Cinderella's coach was a pumpkin, and pumpkin pie comes topped with whipped cream.
My fruit is harvested by flooding a field until it floats. At Thanksgiving I'm served next to the turkey, and in many homes I keep the exact shape of the can I came in. What am I?
Hint: I'm tart and red.
AnswerCranberry sauceCranberries are wet-harvested in flooded bogs, and canned cranberry sauce slides out still shaped like the can.
Some families name me for the job I do inside the bird. Others give me the same name as getting ready to go out, because I'm baked in a pan instead. Either way, I'm mostly day-old bread, celery and onion. What am I?
Hint: Some families cook me inside the bird.
AnswerStuffingStuffing is cooked inside the turkey, dressing is the same dish baked separately, and both are made from bread, celery and onion.
I ride in a boat but never touch the water. I'm made from what the turkey left in the pan, and I end up filling the crater on top of the mashed potatoes. What am I?
Hint: My boat has a handle and a spout.
AnswerGravyGravy is served in a gravy boat, made from pan drippings and poured over potatoes.
I'm taller than a five-story building, yet I weigh less than a car. I travel down a New York City avenue once a year while millions watch on TV, and dozens of people hold my leashes so I don't float away. What am I?
Hint: I'm filled with helium.
AnswerA parade balloonMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are huge but light, and handler teams hold them down with ropes.
I'm not on the menu, but on Thanksgiving afternoon I get passed around more than the potatoes. I'm made of leather, I'm not round, and two cities host me every single year. What am I?
Hint: I'm shaped like an oval.
AnswerFootballFootball is played on Thanksgiving, the ball is passed, and Detroit and Dallas host games every year.
I'm Thanksgiving's sequel. I'm built from what nobody finished, I come between two slices, and some people swear I'm better than the original. What am I?
Hint: I'm made from what didn't get eaten.
AnswerA leftover turkey sandwichThe day after Thanksgiving, leftovers become turkey sandwiches with cranberry and stuffing.
At me, the dinner talk is about cartoons, the chairs rarely match, and moving away from me is one of the biggest promotions in the whole family. What am I?
Hint: Everyone wants to graduate from me someday.
AnswerThe kids' tableChildren sit at the kids' table, and moving to the adult table is a family milestone.
Some people blame a chemical in the turkey for me, but scientists blame the third helping. I arrive during the fourth quarter and end with someone saying you were snoring. What am I?
Hint: Some blame the turkey for me.
AnswerA food coma napTryptophan gets blamed, but overeating causes post-dinner sleepiness, often during the football game.
Thanksgiving riddles cover everything from the turkey and pumpkin pie to the wishbone, the big parade, football and the classic food coma. Most are solvable What Am I? riddles, with a few turkey puns mixed in for the groaners at the table.
Read them aloud while dinner cooks, use them as place-card games or keep the kids' table busy. When you're done, our Christmas riddles are ready for the next holiday.