Certain holidays are associated with different foods, and for Thanksgiving, thats turkey — but why is that what we eat? We asked a history expert to learn more.
Thanksgiving is one of the most beloved holidays in the United States Families and friends gather together to feast on delicious food and give thanks for all that they have The centerpiece of most Thanksgiving meals is a roasted turkey. But have you ever wondered why? When did eating turkey become a Thanksgiving tradition?
The history behind eating turkey for Thanksgiving is quite fascinating. While turkeys are native to North America, there is no evidence that turkey was eaten at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. The meal traditionally credited as the “First Thanksgiving” likely included wild fowl, but it was probably ducks or geese, not turkey. So when did turkey become the go-to Thanksgiving meal?
Turkeys Were Plentiful in the Colonies
When European settlers first arrived in North America in the 1500s and 1600s, wild turkeys were abundant. It’s estimated that at least 10 million wild turkeys inhabited the continent prior to European settlement. The Spanish explorers who arrived even earlier likely brought wild turkeys back to Europe from Mexico and Central America.
So while turkeys may not have been served at the famous 1621 harvest celebration, they were definitely around the Plymouth colony at that time. In his history of the colony written 20 years later, Governor William Bradford referred to a “great store of wild Turkies.”
The colonists likely took advantage of the plentiful wild birds as a food source Turkeys were easy to hunt compared to smaller birds like ducks or chickens. And they provided ample meat to feed a family
Sarah Josepha Hale Helped Popularize Turkey for Thanksgiving
In the early 19th century, turkeys were common fare, but not yet closely associated with Thanksgiving. That changed largely thanks to the efforts of magazine editor and author Sarah Josepha Hale.
Hale wrote about Thanksgiving celebrations featuring roasted turkey in her 1827 novel Northwood. She also regularly promoted the idea of a national Thanksgiving holiday in her popular magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book. Her visibility and advocacy helped link turkey to Thanksgiving in the minds of Americans.
When Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863, the tradition of turkey as the main dish was cemented. Hale’s descriptions of the ideal Thanksgiving meal placed turkey at the center. The availability of domesticated turkeys and advances in poultry farming also enabled turkey to be mass produced for the holiday.
Turkey Became Synonymous with Thanksgiving in the Late 19th Century
By the late 19th century, the association of turkey and Thanksgiving had become ingrained in American culture. Since that time, roasted turkey has remained the quintessential Thanksgiving feast centerpiece.
Some key factors helped solidify turkey’s prominence at the holiday table:
- Sarah Hale’s influential promotion of turkey as part of Thanksgiving meals
- The republication of William Bradford’s account mentioning wild turkeys at Plymouth colony
- The domestication and mass production of turkeys on poultry farms
- Advances in commercial refrigeration that enabled frozen turkeys to be shipped nationwide
- Traditionalism and comfort food appeal of roasted turkey for Thanksgiving
While there are some competing theories, most historians agree that turkey became the standard Thanksgiving meal in the late 1800s. Hale’s legacy lives on today, as about 46 million turkeys are eaten on Thanksgiving in the U.S. according to the National Turkey Federation.
Other Thanksgiving Meats Used to Be More Common
Before turkey became the norm, other meats were also common at Thanksgiving. Goose or duck, pork, beef, chicken, and even seafood were served at Thanksgiving meals through the early 1900s. Regional and cultural preferences influenced the protein of choice.
On the West Coast, Dungeness crab was a favorite Thanksgiving dish. Oyster stuffing was popular in coastal regions. Ham or other pork dishes remained staples in many southern Thanksgiving meals. Until turkey cemented its dominance in the late 19th century, Americans enjoyed a wide variety of holiday meats.
Wild vs Domestic Turkeys for Thanksgiving
Modern domesticated turkeys have been selectively bred to have more breast meat and grow much faster than their wild ancestors. The Broad Breasted White is the most common commercial turkey breed today. Wild turkeys nearly became extinct in the early 20th century before conservation efforts helped replenish their populations.
These days, the turkeys gracing Thanksgiving tables are without a doubt domesticated varieties produced on turkey farms. Their wild cousins are more likely to be spotted roaming free in the woods and suburbs of New England.
So while the Pilgrim settlers and Wampanoag tribe dined on wild turkeys, we have farm-raised domesticated turkeys to thank for our modern Thanksgiving feasts. But both the wild and domesticated birds have contributed to the turkey’s enduring status as the starring Thanksgiving meal.
Turkey for Thanksgiving is an Evolving Tradition
When we sit down for our Thanksgiving feasts this year, we’ll be participating in a tradition that dates back well over 100 years. Although turkey has dominated American Thanksgiving meals since the late 1800s, the holiday meal continues to evolve.
Many families now enjoy innovative twists on the classic turkey like deep fried or grilled turkey. Side dishes also vary widely based on regional and cultural tastes. While turkey may be traditional, there’s no single correct Thanksgiving menu.
Thestory of how turkey became our national Thanksgiving meal is an interesting tale interwoven with history, culture, technology, and more. This beloved holiday centers around gathering with family and friends and giving thanks. And for most Americans, having a golden roasted turkey on the table is an integral part of the celebration.
What did they eat at the first Thanksgiving?
Beyond venison, we dont know exactly what was eaten at the first Thanksgiving, Bickham said — “The rest is speculation.”
“Shellfish and wildfowl were staples in the colonists diet, along with the corn, beans and squash that their Indigenous neighbors had taught them to grow. In fact, the success of those crops was a key reason for the giving of thanks.”
We do know, however, a few things that wouldnt have been on the menu, Bickham said, including anything requiring dairy, wheat or significant amounts of sugar.
Potatoes wouldve also been absent from the table.
“Although native to Andes, potatoes were not popular in England or its colonies until the eighteenth century. So, no mashed potatoes at the first Thanksgiving either,” he said.
Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Turkeys spot on the holiday table can be traced back to a famous American author Sarah Josepha Hale, and her popular book, in which she described a traditional Thanksgiving meal that included a roast turkey.
“For decades, she advocated for an annual Thanksgiving until President Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday in 1863,” CBS News Anne-Marie Green reported ahead of last years holiday.
There were also some practical reasons that explain why the turkey has stuck around, Troy Bickham, a professor of history at Texas A&M University, told CBS News, including it being an “ideal celebration bird.”
“At sizes much larger than chickens or geese, they both feed more people and provide an impressive centerpiece to any large celebratory meal. For these reasons, the English brought back turkeys to breed and farm, where they became fairly common in the 16th century,” he said. “When the Pilgrims arrived in America, the turkey would not have been unfamiliar.”
There were about 10 million turkeys in free colonized America at the time, Green reported.
In the 19th century, wild turkeys still roamed much of the eastern half of the United States, from Texas to Maine, Bickham said.
“They are relatively easy to raise in captivity, so they were abundant,” he said.
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving? | COLOSSAL QUESTIONS
FAQ
When did the tradition of eating turkey on Thanksgiving start?
For centuries, different cultures and religions have celebrated their harvests with a Thanksgiving feast, but the version of the Pilgrim’s feast didn’t come about until the 1800s. It was during this period that roasted turkey became ingrained in the traditional American Thanksgiving meal.
Did the Pilgrims actually eat turkey on the first Thanksgiving?
Did they eat turkey? We don’t think so. The Wampanoag guests brought five deer with them, so venison was on the menu. The English brought fowl, “probably migrating waterfowl like ducks and geese, which were plentiful in autumn,” says Beahrs.
Who introduced turkey to Thanksgiving?
Turkey’s spot on the holiday table can be traced back to a famous American author Sarah Josepha Hale, and her popular book, in which she described a …Nov 28, 2024
What did Americans eat for Thanksgiving before turkey?
The idea of a huge breast-forward turkey and apple pie on those original tables is also a myth. There are two primary-source historical records that give us a clue as to what was part of the 1621 feast. They suggest that the feast likely consisted of wild turkey and other fowl, venison, cod, bass, and corn.
Did all the Thanksgiving meals have a Turkey in them?
The meals that she described all had turkey in them. While the turkey in itself was not a main point of her book, her campaigns to get Thanksgiving to become an official holiday were.
Why do we eat turkeys on Thanksgiving?
Unlike chickens kept for eggs or cows for dairy, turkeys were raised just for their meat. This made them very convenient to slaughter for special meals and celebrations. Thanks largely to Hale’s advocacy, more states began adopting annual Thanksgiving holidays by the mid-1800s.
How many turkeys do Americans eat a year?
Today, Americans eat almost 46 million turkeys (about 3 pounds per person) every Thanksgiving Day (and another 22 million at Christmas no wonder turkeys need a Presidential pardon on Thanksgiving ). That number is growing, according to the National Turkey Federation. How many turkeys are eaten each year can vary with the size of the gatherings.
Was Turkey on the table at the first Thanksgiving?
Turkey likely wasn’t on the table at the first Thanksgiving, but it eventually became the featured dish, thanks in part to an 1827 novel.
How many birds eat Thanksgiving turkeys a year?
U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates now put annual Thanksgiving turkey consumption at over 46 million birds. The wild turkey has also made a major resurgence, with flocks now freely inhabiting New England landscapes.
Was Turkey a holiday meal?
Third, a single turkey was usually big enough to feed a family. Nevertheless, turkeys were not yet synonymous with Thanksgiving. Some people have credited Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (1843) with bolstering the idea of turkey as a holiday meal. But another writer, Sarah Josepha Hale, played an arguably more important role.