Why do we eat turkey for Thanksgiving?

The exact offer of the first Thanksgiving celebration or more precisely Harvest Festival is still a question of the debate between food historians. A letter written twenty -two years after the event suggests that the main courses included lobsters, eels, fish and game, all meals known to the indigenous Americans and easily accessible in this area of ​​North America. One meal item obviously missing in this first offer is Turkey. There is written evidence that suggests that the governor of the pilgrims has sent a man to the field to capture wild poultry, but it is highly likely that hunters have brought back smaller birds such as quail, pheasant and duck, not much larger and more elusive wild turkey. In addition to being a native bird, large birds such as Turkey can be symbols of abundance and time and effort traditionally needed to prepare them that they are often stored for special occasions. Semitivity with modern buffet of turkey, ham, casseroles and desserts known to most Americans. However, this does not mean that the first colonists were not withTurkey familiar as with special food. The bird itself is a native of Mexico and the Eastern United States and Spanish traders introduced wild turkeys to Europe during the 16th century. Pilgrims and other early settlers would recognize Wild Turkey as an exotic bird.

Some sources indicate that early settlers could use Turkey as an easily accessible replacement for traditional goose administered on very special occasions in England. Preparing a large exotic poultry during the three -day harvest festival would not be outside the character for English exile. It is very possible that Turkey was served during the second holiday of thanksgiving and became a tradition among the first settlers.

S.Bstantial size of typical home Turkey can also explain its popularity during thanksgiving. The basic theme of the holiday is to recognize the amount of material and spiritual abundance, so the portion of a large and tasty bird would beThis topic suits quite well. Like the Christmas goose or Easter lamb, the turkey of thanksgiving, at least in the time of pilgrims, she still had an exotic rarity. Preparing to work and a long cooking time also meant that most settlers would wait until a very special occasion to accept the call of turkey. Although the methods of modern poultry agriculture have caused turkeys to be much less exotic, the preparation of whole turkey for Thanksgiving can be considered a connection with the abundant tables of the past.

Wild Turkey has almost become a national symbol of the United States if the American statesman Benjamin Franklin won the debate. Franklin favored the wild turkey over the eagle of the whitening eagle, mainly because it was obviously a native species and had a number of strong personality traits that Franklin believed that he had defined the American spirit. The bald eagle was compared as too predatory and compared to the wrong temperament. Wild turkeys are still considered impressive enemies by small hunters her, unlike their domesticated turkey cousins ​​intended for a day of thanksgiving every fourth Thursday in November.