[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1733841518239{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none” css=”.vc_custom_1734354686143{margin-bottom: 16px !important;}”]It’s hard to imagine a traditional Christmas dinner without turkey. Yet despite their central role in Christmas dinners, turkeys aren’t quite so traditional a Christmas bird as you might expect.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_ =”26873″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” css_animation=”none”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1733842639326{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Come Christmas Day, most families across the UK, US and other countries will sit down to a hearty roast turkey dinner. But have you ever wondered how this tradition started? Why is this big bird so closely associated with the holiday season?
Turkeys may seem like a natural Christmas centerpiece now, but their ties to the holiday are actually less than 200 years old Let’s take a journey through history to find out when, where and why eating turkey on Christmas became ingrained in our festive celebrations
While turkeys are native to North America, they were unfamiliar to Europeans until the 16th century Spanish explorers sailing to the New World brought back these exotic birds to show off at home
One of the first Brits to enjoy turkey was King Henry VIII. As early as 1524, he chose to eat turkey instead of the traditional goose for his lavish Christmas feasts. His fondness for fine dining made turkey a fashionable delicacy in the royal court.
But average British families still viewed turkey as unfamiliar and expensive. Goose remained the customary Christmas protein for centuries to come.
Victorian Popularity
As the 1800s rolled in, turkey was gaining ground, especially among well-to-do Victorians. Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol features the prized turkey at the market that Scrooge buys for Bob Cratchit.
Still, it took royal preference to cement turkey’s place at the head of the Christmas table. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert adopted the turkey tradition in the mid-1800s, and as influencers of the era, their taste kicked off a turkey craze.
Mass Production
Farming innovations also played a role. As turkey breeding scaled up in the late 1800s, prices dropped, making turkey affordable for working-class Victorian families. Its large size could feed a holiday crowd too.
By the early 1900s, roast turkey had replaced goose as the expected Christmas meal on both sides of the Atlantic. American turkey production expanded rapidly to meet demand.
Why Turkey?
Clearly royal approval and mass production helped turkey achieve Christmas meal dominance. But the bird had other advantages too:
- Big enough for gatherings
- Mild flavor suits traditional trimmings
- Lower cost than goose
- Evokes bounty and generosity
So while goose seems old-fashioned now, turkey’s holiday reign is quite recent. Understanding its history gives insight into a beloved Christmas tradition.
The Evolution of Christmas Dinner and the Turkey’s Rise to Fame
Christmas dinner hasn’t always featured a golden roasted turkey as its crowning centerpiece. The traditional foods eaten at Christmastime have evolved over the centuries. Let’s explore the history of the Christmas meal to discover how turkey took the starring role.
Medieval Feasts
Before turkey arrived in England, medieval Christmas meals were similar to other feasts. The wealthy dined on elaborate stews, meat pies and spit-roasted wild game. Spices from abroad were highly prized to flavor dishes.
A classic medieval Christmas centerpiece was a boar’s head, often surrounded by fruits and greens for a festive presentation.
Tudor Traditions
In the 1500s when Henry VIII first enjoyed turkey, other Tudor holiday foods included goose, swan, venison, beef, chestnuts and frumenty (a spiced porridge). Cooks experimented with exotic new imports like citrus fruits.
Turkey gained favor among nobility but remained a luxury meat. Goose still dominated Christmas dinner.
Georgian Grandeur
As turkey grew available, it appeared among the wealthy Georgian-era Christmas banquets alongside goose and beef. Impressive roasts were embellished with intricate garnishes.
But average families still subsisted on simpler fare like mutton, pork, pies, puddings and potatoes. Turkey wasn’t yet common.
Victorian Revival
By the mid-1800s, Victorians were romanticizing ancient English Christmas customs. This included serving enormous roasts like sirloin and boar’s head. But turkey finally surpassed goose as the favorite.
Dickens’ Christmas Carol and Queen Victoria’s fondness for turkey boosted its popularity and cemented its place at the table.
Modern Meals
Today’s Christmas dinners have come full circle, blending old and new food traditions. Roast turkey remains the typical centerpiece, but accompanied by Victorian trimmings, medieval side dishes and traditional puddings.
Understanding the ever-evolving history of the Christmas meal gives new appreciation for time-honored food traditions we still enjoy.
Uncovering the Origins of Turkey at Christmas Dinner
For today’s families, roast turkey on Christmas is a given. But this now-iconic tradition has a surprisingly recent history. Here’s a closer look at how turkey went from exotic oddity to holiday dining staple.
New World Origins
Wild turkeys are indigenous to North America and were domesticated by Native American tribes like the Aztecs who viewed them as sacred. Spanish explorers returning from Mexico introduced tamed turkeys to Europe in the 1500s.
These exotic birds created a splash among European royalty and nobility who had never seen them before. But average people still regarded them as strange and unfamiliar.
Royal Endorsement
In England, King Henry VIII is credited with eating the first Christmas turkey in about 1524, choosing it over the customary roast goose. His fondness for fine dining made turkey fashionable in wealthy households.
Yet the high cost of importing turkey kept it exclusive for centuries. Goose, boar and peacock remained the traditional Christmas foods most could afford.
Dickens’ Influence
As turkey availability grew in Victorian times, Charles Dickens helped promote it in his 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. He wrote of the prized turkey at market that Scrooge buys for Bob Cratchit’s family.
Reading about turkey in a popular story helped spark interest and association with Christmas among the general public.
Victoria’s Preference
But the real turning point came when Queen Victoria adopted the turkey tradition in the 1850s. As a trendsetter of her era, Victoria’s fondness of serving turkey at Christmas dinner made it hugely fashionable.
Suddenly, middle and working class families wanted to emulate the royal turkey dinner. Its popularity eclipsed goose for good.
Affordable Feasts
Mass production also enabled average families to afford turkey. As breeding and farming practices became more efficient in the late 1800s, the cost of turkey dropped significantly.
Its large size could feed gatherings of family and friends. Roast turkey was now within reach for Christmas.
An Iconic Tradition
So within about 100 years, turkey went from exotic curiosity to Christmas dining staple. Its royal connections and low price helped establish the turkey tradition we still enjoy today. The rest, as they say, is history.
Digging into the History: When Did Turkey Become a Popular Christmas Meal?
Roast turkey is now a symbol of Christmas as ubiquitous as trees, tinsel and Santa. But this association is actually less than 200 years old. Tracking the history provides insight into how turkey went from rarity to holiday icon.
1500s: Arrival in England
Turkey first came to England in 1526 when Yorkshire merchant William Strickland imported six birds from Native American breeders. Previously unknown, turkey was an exotic novelty.
Only the wealthy could afford it for occasions like Christmas, while goose remained the customary feast food.
1600-1700s: Gaining Favor
During the Renaissance era, turkey grew fashionable among nobility as a meat of status. Henry VIII enjoyed it for Christmas, and by the1600s, it appeared in feast cookbooks.
Still, average families seldom had turkey because of the expense of importing or breeding. Goose still reigned supreme.
Early 1800s: Dickens’ Influence
As turkey became more available in Victorian times, Charles Dickens gave it a boost through A Christmas Carol. He wrote of the prized turkey for sale that Scrooge gifted Bob Cratchit.
While goose remained prevalent, turkey was now capturing the public’s imagination as a potential Christmas dish.
Mid-1800s: Royal Endorsement
Queen Victoria’s adoption of serving turkey for Christmas dinner caused a tremendous shift. As an arbiter of style, her preference instantly made turkey a fashionable choice.
Middle and working class families wanted to emulate the royal turkey dinner. Goose declined in favor.
Late 1800s: Affordable Feasts
Advances in breeding and farming made turkey more affordable by the late Victorian era. With its large size feeding gatherings, lower prices enabled working families to enjoy turkey too.
By the early 1900s, turkey had replaced goose as the traditional Christmas dinner meat and an iconic holiday symbol.
Understanding the centuries-long history gives insight into how turkey went from exotic rarity to beloved Christmas tradition. The turkey’s rise to fame reflects the changing face of Christmas itself.
Where are turkeys from?
Turkeys aren’t native to the UK. They also aren’t from Turkey.
Instead, turkeys are indigenous to central America. They were named huehxolotl in Nahuatl and were considered sacred in ancient Mesoamerican religion. This is because these birds provided many different resources: from a rich source of protein of meat and eggs, to bright feathers that featured in decorations and arrowheads. There was even a turkey god, Chalchiuhtotolin, god of plagues.
Turkey, Christmas, and the Victorians
“There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were the themes of universal admiration. Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family; indeed, as Mrs Cratchit said with great delight (surveying one small atom of a bone upon the dish), they hadn’t ate it all at last! Yet everyone had had enough, and the youngest Cratchits in particular, were steeped in sage and onion to the eyebrows!”
Both turkey and geese incurred significant costs for consumers. Before the development and improvement of the railways, most birds sold for consumption in cities had to be walked from farm to town. The birds’ feet would be wrapped in rags or covered in a painless solution of tar that acted as a little shoe to protect their feet. These journeys would have taken days and required accommodation, a team of human companions, and food, which all significantly added to cost.
The financial strain and expectation that came with purchasing a Christmas bird is evidenced around this time through the establishment of organisations known as Goose Clubs. These were set up by pubs, with each member paying a shilling a week for 8 to 10 weeks before Christmas to ensure that they could afford a centerpiece bird at Christmas. These clubs were very unpopular with the Temperance movements of the time, because they took place in pubs, and you normally got a small bottle of gin with your goose. Many poor households also didn’t have ovens to cook their goose. We also see this in A Christmas Carol, when the younger Cratchits head off to the bakers, who has kindly left his oven on for people to cook their Christmas dinners.
As the railway developed and improved, turkey grew in popularity, and it really achieved its yuletide dominance only from the 1950s onwards. Turkey Clubs were introduced (like Goose Clubs, but without the gin) to allow low-income families to purchase turkeys in instalments. At this time, fridge freezers were much more affordable, so families could purchase turkey early and store it until the big day, while affordable ovens meant cooking at home became more and more feasible.
Why do we eat turkey for Christmas (and Thanksgiving)? | Episode 8 | BBC Ideas
FAQ
Why do they eat turkey on Christmas?
During his time on the throne, King Henry VIII decided to swap out his traditional goose for a turkey on Christmas day.Sep 8, 2023
What does a turkey have to do with Christmas?
Turkeys became ‘fashionable’ to eat for Christmas in the UK in the 1840s and 1850s. In ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens (opens big), which was published in 1843, the Cratchit family first had a goose, but at the end of the book Ebenezer Scrooge gives them a turkey, because it was bigger and more ‘important’.
Where did the turkey tradition come from?
Although turkeys aren’t native to the UK, they have been eaten in Britain for hundreds of years. There is documentation of turkeys being imported into the UK in the early 16th century, and Henry VIII was apparently the first British monarch to enjoy turkey on Christmas day.
Why do Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
It is probably because of the early settlers’ cultural practices in North America. The wild Turkey would be hunted during the seasonal festivals. The early settlers were from Europe so the Turkey felt like an amazing treat. So it became a habit and it felt normal and fitting to have a Turkey on a special occasion.
Why do people eat turkey on Christmas Day?
Well, we’ve got the answer. Turkey is one of the most iconic features of a Christmas dinner. For many families, it simply isn’t a Christmas dinner without a turkey. However, most people don’t know where this tradition started, or why it is that turkeys – rather than goose, chicken or beef – are the most popular option on Christmas Day.
When did turkeys become ‘fashionable’ to eat for Christmas?
Turkeys became ‘fashionable’ to eat for Christmas in the UK in the 1840s and 1850s. In ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens (opens big), which was published in 1843, the Cratchit family first had a goose, but at the end of the book Ebenezer Scrooge gives them a turkey, because it was bigger and more ‘important’.
Who eats Turkey for Christmas dinner?
Eating turkey for Christmas dinner has been a tradition for hundreds of years, and it’s mostly down to a few important people, including a sailor, Charles Dickens & Queen Victoria.
Why do people eat turkey during Thanksgiving?
However, many farmers found that consuming turkey was more practical, freeing up cows and chickens for milk and egg production. Some might think that we Brits took a leaf out of North Americans’ book by eating turkey during Thanksgiving, but this isn’t true. It was actually Henry VIII who made turkeys popular (Image: De Agostini via Getty Images)
Do you eat turkey on Christmas Day in the UK?
Although turkey is seen as synonymous with Christmas, it is actually less common in the UK than you might expect. A recent YouGov poll found that only half of respondents typically ate turkey on Christmas day – that’s fewer than the number who ate sprouts.
Why should you buy a Turkey for Christmas?
Size – Turkeys are bigger birds that can feed a crowd, which makes them perfect for lavish Christmas feasts. A turkey can serve 10+ people easily. Affordability – As turkey farming scaled up, prices dropped making it affordable for working class Victorian families. Goose remained expensive.