If someone asked you what you’re going to have on Thanksgiving day, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? You could be thinking of turkey, one of the major courses in a Thanksgiving feast. Have you ever wondered why turkey always comes to your mind above all other things on the menu? You could be thinking that it was served on the first Thanksgiving, and that was how it became the symbol. However, there is no evidence stating that turkey was eaten. There is evidence that the Pilgrims had “wild fowl,” which could have implied that they had turkey, but it could also have indicated that they had ducks or geese, according to historians.
If turkey wasn’t served on the first Thanksgiving, why do we eat turkey?
Ken Albala, a professor of history at the University of the Pacific, states that there was a tradition where wildfowl, or birds, were served in medieval Europe, including peacocks. Then turkey from America and guinea fowl from Africa were introduced to Europe in the 17th century; those were served as well.
Turkey wasn’t a popular dish until the 19th century. There are a few reasons why this is true:
- During the European contact, there were an estimated 10 million turkeys in America.
- Turkey was almost always available around family farms.
- Turkey was sufficiently large enough to feed an entire family.
However, turkeys were not associated with Thanksgiving yet. Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer, devoted a whole chapter to an explanation of a New England Thanksgiving in her 1827 novel Northwood; it explained that turkey was at the center of the table At that time, she was attempting to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the United States of America. in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as an official holiday.
In theory, turkey was popular also because a man named Charles Dickens made it popular as a course in a Christmas feast with his creation known as A Christmas Carol.
After Thanksgiving was established as a holiday, a national mythology was formed. A collection of Pilgrim writing from 1841 referred to a meal described by Plymouth colonist Edward Winslow as “the First Thanksgiving.” Winslow never stated that there was turkey eaten, but William Bradford, his colonist, did refer to a “great store of wild Turkey” at Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the 1621 feast was, in a journal. This journal was reprinted in 1856. The Thanksgiving feast from 1621 was taught in schools before long.
There’s a lot to provide for a Thanksgiving feast, whether it’s stuffing, mashed potatoes, or something completely made up from scratch. Above all these different and unique foods served in a Thanksgiving feast, Turkey remains one of the most popular and essential elements of it.
Works Cited
Burger, K. (2017, November 22). Why do we eat turkey at Thanksgiving? Burger Farms and Garden Center. Retrieved November 15, 2023, from https://burgerfarms.com/2273-2/#:~:text=Since%20Bradford%20wrote%20of%20how,a%20national%20holiday%20in%201863.
Cunningham, J. M. (n.d.). Why do we eat Turkey on Thanksgiving? Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/story/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving
Hoeffner, K. (2023, September 23). Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? The answer may surprise you. Real Simple. Retrieved November 20, 2023, from https://www.realsimple.com/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving-6826842#:~:text=Indigenous%20to%20the%20area%20and,sense%20to%20North%20American%20homesteaders.
Lambe, E. (2022, October 11). What is Thanksgiving and how is it celebrated? BBC Good Food. Retrieved November 14, 2023, from https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-is-thanksgiving