The words turkey and Thanksgiving seem synonymous to many this time of year. Actually, National Turkey Lovers Day is observed on the third Sunday of June.
In my more than 60 years of managing a kitchen, I can probably count on my fingers the number of turkeys I have prepared. I don’t like to smell them cooking and I don’t like to deal with the carcass. However, I don’t mind sitting down to a nice turkey dinner.
Historically the first Thanksgiving in America was in 1621. The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in December 1620 and suffered severely that first winter from cold, disease and starvation. According to the writings of Gov. William Bradford, with the help of the Wampanoag people and a man named Squanto, the Plymouth Plantation in 1621 had an especially good harvest and then had a feast to celebrate. The Wampanoag people and Chief Massasoit came to the celebration. The feast included deer, wildfowl, fish and vegetables, plus what the Wampanoag people brought. There was no mention of turkey or pumpkin pie.
President George Washington called for a day of Thanksgiving in 1789, President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 and President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress made the fourth Thursday in November the day for the Thanksgiving holiday in 1941. President Harry Truman received a turkey from the Poultry and Egg Board for his Thanksgiving. President John Kennedy pardoned the turkey meant for his table and that tradition continues.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has some turkey statistics. Turkey production in the U.S. was 4.11 billion pounds in 2023. Minnesota, North Carolina and Arkansas are the top three states in turkey production. Ohio is ninth. The USDA estimates 46 million birds will be eaten at Thanksgiving. About 88% of us will have turkey at Thanksgiving. The per capita yearly consumption of turkey is 14.6 pounds. This figure has doubled since 1970, possibly due to the promotion of ground turkey as a leaner source of protein than ground beef. Also, turkey is a popular deli meat.
There was some debate in 1782 about selecting a national bird. The bald eagle was a symbol of strength, courage, freedom and immortality. Ben Franklin defended the choice of the turkey as the national bird as being more respectable. The bald eagle was named the national symbol in 1782. It is protected under the National Emblem Act of 1940.
The tradition of eating turkey began during the colonial era when people chose to eat turkey rather than a useful animal. Just think, if the turkey was the National Bird and protected, what would we be eating for Thanksgiving?
Iris Eppley is a member of the Farm Bureau Council.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Time to talk turkey for Thanksgiving
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