Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

With the many different meats available, why are turkeys the preferred food to complete Thanksgiving dinner? Well, it seems that there are a number of reasons why turkeys are the best bird for a large holiday feast such as Thanksgiving. While there may be a number of different birds available to eat, few birds are as popular for a Thanksgiving dinner than the turkey.

There is a significant amount of cultural significance in relation to why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a holiday that was passed down from the early American settlers who arrived here from England.

Eating large birds at holiday feasts is not totally “American.” Early English settlers brought many of their English customs and traditions with them when they came to the New World. One of these customs was eating poultry, particularly large birds such as the goose, peacocks and swans during the holidays. However, once they came to America, the turkey became a preferred option for special occasions.  

A Reasonable Economical Option

Affordability was even an important factor when selecting a main meat for a major meal during the times of the Pilgrims. Although there are a number of different meats that can be eaten for a special occasion, selecting the option that is most economical was important both then and now.

At a feast, a large number of people have to be fed and, because of this, the Pilgrims had to choose a meat source that was big enough to feed this large group without incurring major costs.

• While cows could have been used for their beef, they were considered to be more important alive, as they provided milk.

• Chicken was also available, but people didn’t want to kill their hens in order to have a feast because the hens laid eggs that could be used as their own food source.

• The meat of the rooster is very tough and not appealing to many for consumption.

• Deer or venison was also available, but people may not have like the idea of hunting for their main dish for Thanksgiving.

• Ham was also readily available, but many people ate this on a regular basis and didn’t consider it to be fancy enough for a special event such as Thanksgiving.

Turkeys could be purchased in the spring and be fattened up over many months in order to make them bigger for Thanksgiving Day.

Also, many people used the meat from the turkey to make meat pies and other foods that were stored away to be eaten throughout the winter months. Thus, turkey was the best choice for the early settlers that wanted a special bird that could be eaten for special occasions.

Cultural Significance of Turkey

In the United States the sale of turkeys is a sign of the holidays. Turkeys are traditionally prepared during the holiday season. Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday season in the United States.

There are many stories of people being gifted turkeys for Thanksgiving meals. Likewise, there are many cookbooks that offer many different recipes and variations for preparing the perfect Thanksgiving Day feast. In fact, of late, there has been a growing trend of frying in a turkey in a deep fryer, which is done by many people who want to experience a different taste.

The turkey in American culture is synonymous with holidays and festivities. Most Americans do not prepare turkeys on a regular basis. If people want to enjoy turkey there are other ways to do so, such as turkey sandwiches, as opposed to preparing an entire turkey for an everyday meal.

Because of this, turkey does have a very special place in American culture as a food that is prepared with significant amounts of time and effort for a special event such as Thanksgiving.