Why turkey?

[maddys_mommy_ny]

 I know its traditional but does anyone know why exactly, we eat turkey on thanksgiving?  I'm sure they didn't eat turkey at the first one so where did the idea of turkey come from?

[mom2four1978]

There are a couple of possible reasons, but I like this one best. :)

Ben Franklin’s Favorite Bird
Founding father Benjamin Franklin strongly believed that the turkey is a much better representation of the United States than the bald eagle. According to Franklin, “The turkey is a much more respectable Bird and withal a true original Native of North America.” Obviously, not everyone agreed with him. But turkeys were plentiful in North America, and they took their spots in the limelight every Thanksgiving celebration.

 

[iluvmypreemies]

Here were some other "Stories" LOL

Quote:

Though there is no real evidence that turkey was served at the Pilgrim's first thanksgiving, but through ages it became an indispensable part of the Thanksgiving tradition. The tradition of turkey is rooted in the 'History Of Plymouth Plantation', written by William Bradford some 22 years after the actual celebration.

Here was another

Quote:

In 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians celebrated the first Thanksgiving, they were gobbling up many more foods than just turkey. Since lobster, goose, duck, seal, eel, and cod were plentiful during this time, these foods were most likely the main courses of this first feast. Deer meat and wild fowl are the only two items that historians know for sure were menu of this autumn celebration.

So how did the turkey become the main mascot of modern-day Thanksgiving if we don't know for certain that turkeys were at this first feast?

One story tells of how Queen Elizabeth of 16th century England was chowing down on roast goose during a harvest festival. When news was delivered to her that the Spanish Armada had sunk on it way to attack her beloved England, the queen was so pleased that she order a second goose to celebrate the great news. Thus, the goose became the favorite bird at harvest time in England. When the Pilgrims arrived in America from England, roasted turkey replaced roasted goose as the main cuisine because wild turkeys were more abundant and easier to find than geese.

[RaeLynn1221]

I just wrote a post about this earlier.

http://www.cafemom.com/group/144/forums/read/10329666/The_REAL_reson_we_have_turkey_on_Thanksgiving_PIOG

Sorry, I don't know the real reason. LOL.