Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes Food Cooking International Guide
Thanksgiving Turkey Traditions In America
By Imogen T Stubbs
One reason that has been given when asked why the Thanksgiving
turkey is a tradition observed in America is because one "Tom
Turkey" can easily feed a rather large gathering of family
and friends, and in the days of the settlers, one could be used
without being a huge economical hardship to the farmer, or to
the person or family chosen to host Thanksgiving.
Today, as in the past, the tradition is still considered to be
a good choice because the birds are readily available, fresh or
frozen.
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.
Turkey Was The Perfect Choice For Thanksgiving
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.
Even though both brined pork and ham were as readily available
as turkey, it was not deemed good enough for this feast of giving
thanks. Turkeys were considered the best bet, as the poults that
were born in the spring would have about 7 months to do nothing
but eat and grow plump for their place of honor at the Thanksgiving
Day feast.
Preparing Food To Last The Winter
It was also felt that eating a Thanksgiving turkey was more in
keeping with Britain’s holiday customs that were introduced to
the New World by the early settlers.
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.
The British Tried Swans But Preferred Turkey
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.
Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863;
however, by then the turkey was already pretty much the standard
of Thanksgiving Day customs.
The Bird Of Choice For Holiday Dinners
Of course there are those who believe the Thanksgiving turkey,
as well as the traditional sides of mashed potatoes, squash, peas,
cranberry sauce, stuffing and gravy, became firmly ensconced at
center stage partially because of "A Christmas Carol"
that was written by Charles Dickens.
When Scrooge gave the gift of a turkey to the poor Cratchit family
it cemented it as the bird of choice for all future holiday dinners.
About the Author:
Imogen T Stubbs has written a number of articles on kitchen, food
and cooking including First
Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
Day, Hot
Water, Refrigerator
Water Filter, Water
Filtering System, Whole
House Water.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
When did Thanksgiving traditions get started?
In order to understand Thanksgiving traditions
you have to first understand about Thanksgiving Day itself. Most
US citizens believe that it first occurred at Plymouth Plantation
when the Pilgrims first came to America.
That first Thanksgiving occurred in 1621
and was a time of festivities between the newly arrived settlers
and the surrounding Native American tribes. But did you know that
it was not a recognized day until 1863 and did not become a national
holiday until 1941.
The premise behind the earliest Thanksgiving
Days was simple: it was a time to celebrate the harvest. Farmers
and workers spent all spring and summer toiling away in the fields
so when it came harvest time they celebrated by gathering together
with friends and family.
The Native American contribution to the
first Thanksgiving holds particular meaning because without their
help the previous winter, the colonists would not have survived.
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