Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?

Every year, on the fourth Thursday of November, we sit down at dinner time and enjoy a feast of mashed potatoes, green beans, maybe ham, and of course, turkey. In fact a lot of people tend to dub Thanksgiving as turkey day as it is the main course of the meal for most Americans on this holiday. The question is: why? Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? What's so special about turkey?

Apparently, turkey might not have even been eaten during the first Thanksgiving. Although there were wild turkeys in the area, there were no accounts of actually eating the bird during this day. People most likely feasted on deer or fowl, but not turkey.

So, why do we eat turkey? According to one legend, Queen Elizabeth of England was delighted with the news of the Spanish Armada sinking and ordered for a goose to be served. Early settlers were inspired by Queen Elizabeth and decided to roast a turkey instead of a goose, because they were cheaper. Another legend states that Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird because it was a native to North America. Although it didn't stick, people began to eat turkey on Thanksgiving. In reality, turkeys were eaten because of availability in New England. A wild turkey weight on average, sixty pounds, and was able to feed large groups of people. Turkey was later popularized after Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol, which was read throughout the United States. Dickens portrayed the classic Thanksgiving meal as having gravy, stuffing, plum pudding, and of course, turkey. So when Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in 1863, the turkey was already an iconic part of the meal.

So that's it. Turkey isn't anything special, it's just a big bird that's readily available for all people. That's also okay, though, because turkey is delicious and definitely worth waiting for on Thanksgiving. Without it, could you imagine having a Thanksgiving dinner?

via kitchendaily