How come Canadians and Americans have turkey on both Christmas and thanksgiving
! The practice of eating turkey on both Christmas and Thanksgiving in Canada and the United States stems from a combination of practical reasons, cultural inheritance, and the bird's availability.
Here is a breakdown of the main factors:
🦃 Thanksgiving Tradition (North America)
• Availability: Turkeys are native to North America and were plentiful in the wild when European settlers arrived. They were also relatively easy to raise compared to other livestock.
• Practicality: A single turkey is large enough to feed a crowd, making it the perfect centerpiece for a communal harvest feast like Thanksgiving. Unlike cows (valued for milk) or hens (valued for eggs), turkeys were generally raised specifically for meat.
• Cultural Adoption: While the historical accounts of the very first Thanksgiving feasts in North America (like Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621) are unclear about whether turkey was the main bird, by the early to mid-19th century, it became the established tradition. This was bolstered by writers like Sarah Josepha Hale, who promoted the image of a roasted turkey for the holiday meal. The tradition was largely brought to Canada by United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution.
🎄 Christmas Tradition (European/British Influence)
• Historical Precedent: Before turkey became common, the traditional Christmas bird in the United Kingdom was often goose. Turkeys, which were imported to Europe from the Americas as early as the 16th century, were initially considered a luxury item.
• Royal and Literary Influence:
• King Henry VIII is often cited as the first English monarch to have a turkey for Christmas.
• Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843) helped solidify the turkey's image as the ultimate generous holiday meal when Ebenezer Scrooge sends a massive turkey to the Cratchit family. This popularized turkey as the aspirational Christmas meat for the growing middle class.
• Migration of Custom: As Canada was a British colony, the custom of having a large, roasted bird (turkey, by the 19th century) for Christmas was imported directly from Britain.
The Overlap
The key to the overlap is that by the time Thanksgiving became a formalized national holiday (1863 in the U.S., 1879 in Canada), the turkey was already the established "big-bird-for-a-big-feast" centerpiece. Since the Christmas tradition of having a large, centerpiece bird was also established in the same culture, turkey naturally became the choice for both holidays because:
1. Size: It's big enough to feed a family gathering.
2. Availability: Turkey farming became more efficient and widespread, making them accessible.
3. Taste/Association: The flavor and ritual became deeply associated with a special family celebration.
In short, it's a British Christmas tradition (big bird, eventually turkey) combined with an American harvest tradition (plentiful North American bird, eventually turkey), creating a powerful cultural custom in both countries.
Would you be interested in learning about other ways Canadian and American Thanksgiving traditions differ, such as the dates they are celebrated?
Here is a breakdown of the main factors:
🦃 Thanksgiving Tradition (North America)
• Availability: Turkeys are native to North America and were plentiful in the wild when European settlers arrived. They were also relatively easy to raise compared to other livestock.
• Practicality: A single turkey is large enough to feed a crowd, making it the perfect centerpiece for a communal harvest feast like Thanksgiving. Unlike cows (valued for milk) or hens (valued for eggs), turkeys were generally raised specifically for meat.
• Cultural Adoption: While the historical accounts of the very first Thanksgiving feasts in North America (like Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621) are unclear about whether turkey was the main bird, by the early to mid-19th century, it became the established tradition. This was bolstered by writers like Sarah Josepha Hale, who promoted the image of a roasted turkey for the holiday meal. The tradition was largely brought to Canada by United Empire Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution.
🎄 Christmas Tradition (European/British Influence)
• Historical Precedent: Before turkey became common, the traditional Christmas bird in the United Kingdom was often goose. Turkeys, which were imported to Europe from the Americas as early as the 16th century, were initially considered a luxury item.
• Royal and Literary Influence:
• King Henry VIII is often cited as the first English monarch to have a turkey for Christmas.
• Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843) helped solidify the turkey's image as the ultimate generous holiday meal when Ebenezer Scrooge sends a massive turkey to the Cratchit family. This popularized turkey as the aspirational Christmas meat for the growing middle class.
• Migration of Custom: As Canada was a British colony, the custom of having a large, roasted bird (turkey, by the 19th century) for Christmas was imported directly from Britain.
The Overlap
The key to the overlap is that by the time Thanksgiving became a formalized national holiday (1863 in the U.S., 1879 in Canada), the turkey was already the established "big-bird-for-a-big-feast" centerpiece. Since the Christmas tradition of having a large, centerpiece bird was also established in the same culture, turkey naturally became the choice for both holidays because:
1. Size: It's big enough to feed a family gathering.
2. Availability: Turkey farming became more efficient and widespread, making them accessible.
3. Taste/Association: The flavor and ritual became deeply associated with a special family celebration.
In short, it's a British Christmas tradition (big bird, eventually turkey) combined with an American harvest tradition (plentiful North American bird, eventually turkey), creating a powerful cultural custom in both countries.
Would you be interested in learning about other ways Canadian and American Thanksgiving traditions differ, such as the dates they are celebrated?
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