Thanksgiving Turkey

The Thanksgiving Turkey

One of the more famous Thanksgiving traditions, at least in America, is having a Thanksgiving turkey for the celebratory dinner. There have been many different reasons given over the years as to why this particular bird is such a popular choice for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. So popular, in fact, that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make the wild turkey, not the Bald Eagle, the national bird of the United States!

The general consensus was that the cows were much more useful alive and beef was also not available commercially until around the late 19th century. Venison might have been a good choice as a Thanksgiving food but many people claimed they were not that excited about having to hunt for the game they would serve at their Thanksgiving feast. They also felt that rooster meat was too tough and the hens were more valuable for their eggs.

While brined pork and ham were both available, many felt that it was not a fitting meal for the day of thanks. As well, feasting on a Thanksgiving turkey was in keeping with the British holiday custom that settlers brought with them to the New World. Among the available birds, the turkey appeared to be the most ideal for an autumn feast, as the chicks born in the spring would have approximately 7 months in which to grow fat, just in time for the Thanksgiving table.

Economics was an important factor for most early settlers, especially since people were not necessarily preparing just one meal. Thanksgiving was also the time to bake other meats and pies and make preserves that would have to last throughout the winter as well. At one time the British ate swans and geese as a Thanksgiving tradition, but they finally came to prefer the turkey once it was introduced in England around 1540. Swans were not well received due to their diet; they sometimes tasted fishy unless they were fed seeds and wheat several weeks before being slaughtered.

By the time Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, the Thanksgiving turkey was already at center stage, and for most it was already a family tradition. There are even some who believe that due to the popularity of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens”, showing a newly transformed Scrooge giving the gift of the holiday turkey to the Cratchit family, the bird’s status as the center of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday feasts was forever cemented.

About the Author

Joanna has written articles for online and offline publications for over 5 years. Visit her newest websites at http://www.autobatterychargerstips.com/ to find the best deal on a battery charger for your car and http://www.onecupcoffeemakertips.com/ to find bargains on single serve coffee makers.

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