1 year, 11 months ago
via foodiequestions.com
Why do most people eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day?
I have always hated turkey, and by process, am starting to dislike Thanksgiving Day. My mom always makes me eat at least some of the turkey she made, and I have never been able to figure out the big deal. What does turkey have to do with thanks? Did the settlers eat it once? If so, I still don't see the reason why almost everyone cooks a big bird that day.
I love stuffing and mashed potatoes, and that is keeping me happy with the holiday so far. I just know that when I host a Thanksgiving Day feast of my own, it won't be with turkey. Do you think that we as Americans will move away from this tradition anytime soon?
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/gamebirds/images/wild_turkey.jpg
I love stuffing and mashed potatoes, and that is keeping me happy with the holiday so far. I just know that when I host a Thanksgiving Day feast of my own, it won't be with turkey. Do you think that we as Americans will move away from this tradition anytime soon?
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M$1 Answer
"In 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians celebrated the first Thanksgiving, they were gobbling up many more foods than just turkey. Since lobster, goose, duck, seal, eel, and cod were plentiful during this time, these foods were most likely the main courses of this first feast. Deer meat and wild fowl are the only two items that historians know for sure were menu of this autumn celebration.
So how did the turkey become the main mascot of modern-day Thanksgiving if we don't know for certain that turkeys were at this first feast?
One story tells of how Queen Elizabeth of 16th century England was chowing down on roast goose during a harvest festival. When news was delivered to her that the Spanish Armada had sunk on it way to attack her beloved England, the queen was so pleased that she order a second goose to celebrate the great news. Thus, the goose became the favorite bird at harvest time in England. When the Pilgrims arrived in America from England, roasted turkey replaced roasted goose as the main cuisine because wild turkeys were more abundant and easier to find than geese."
So how did the turkey become the main mascot of modern-day Thanksgiving if we don't know for certain that turkeys were at this first feast?
One story tells of how Queen Elizabeth of 16th century England was chowing down on roast goose during a harvest festival. When news was delivered to her that the Spanish Armada had sunk on it way to attack her beloved England, the queen was so pleased that she order a second goose to celebrate the great news. Thus, the goose became the favorite bird at harvest time in England. When the Pilgrims arrived in America from England, roasted turkey replaced roasted goose as the main cuisine because wild turkeys were more abundant and easier to find than geese."
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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