In the West, one of the customs of Thanksgiving is to eat turkey. So do you know why we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? The following is why we should eat turkey on Thanksgiving and the meaning of eating turkey on Thanksgiving compiled by the editor. You are welcome to read, share and learn from it. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.
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This starts with Thanksgiving Let’s start with the origin. In 1620, a group of Puritans who advocated reform in England withdrew from the state religion and established their own Protestant religion because their ideals and ambitions could not be realized. This move aroused the hatred of the British authorities. Unable to bear the persecution and discrimination from their rulers, these Puritans first fled to the Netherlands. In early September, they took a boat across the ocean to prepare for exile in the United States. After drifting in rough seas for 65 days, the ship finally reached the east coast of the United States in November and landed at the port of Provincetown, Rhode Island.
At that time, this area was still a desolate and uncultivated virgin land, and turkeys and other wild animals could be seen everywhere. It was winter, they came to a strange place, they were short of food and clothing, and the harsh environment was threatening their lives. At this critical moment, the local Indians brought them food, daily necessities and production tools, and helped them build their new home.
After settling in their new home, these British people, in order to thank the Indians who had helped and supported them in times of crisis, and also to thank God for his "gift" to them, held a memorial ceremony on the fourth Thursday of November this year. , made the hunted turkeys into delicacies, entertained the Indians warmly, and socialized with them. The celebration lasted for three days.
Since then, such a celebration has been held on the fourth Thursday of November every year. In addition to entertaining the Indians to eat roast turkey, they also held archery, running, wrestling and other sports competitions together. Sing and dance by the bonfire and have fun.
Another theory is that at a harvest festival in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth of England was eating roast goose. At this time, news came that the Spanish Armada had sunk on its way to attack her beloved Britain. The Queen was so happy that she ordered another goose to celebrate the success. Therefore, geese have become Britain’s favorite bird during the harvest season. When the Pilgrims came to America from England, roast turkey replaced roast goose as the main dish because turkeys were more plentiful on the continent and easier to find than goose.
What is the meaning of eating turkey on Thanksgiving?
1. The origin of eating turkey on Thanksgiving is that a group of British people who fled to the United States in 1920 arrived on the east coast of the United States. , was rescued by local Indians.
2. Turkeys can be seen everywhere in the local area. In order to thank the Indians for their help in times of crisis, the British hunted turkeys and made them into delicacies, and entertained the Indians warmly.
3. Since then, the British have entertained the Indians with turkeys at this time every year, thus forming this tradition that has been passed down to this day.
The origin of releasing turkeys on Thanksgiving
In the West, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November every year. Thanksgiving is the most authentic and American of the national holidays in the United States. holiday, which is most closely associated with early American history. Every Thanksgiving Day, a four-day long holiday, the whole country celebrates this grand holiday. Children who live far away have to go home and have a sumptuous Thanksgiving meal with their families. Children will put on masks and fill the streets cheering to welcome this holiday. Beautiful holiday.
On Thanksgiving Day, there will be grand celebrations in the squares of major cities. On this day, everyone from the president to civilians commemorate and pray in their own special ways. The most meaningful one is the turkey release ceremony of previous presidents!
Turkey is the star of the meal and a symbol of Thanksgiving. Every year before Thanksgiving, the National Turkey Federation sends a turkey to the White House to be released by the President of the United States. This lucky turkey can avoid being killed for life. But other turkeys are not so lucky. Americans eat an average of more than 4.5 million turkeys during Thanksgiving each year.
This annual presidential turkey releasing ceremony began in 1947 when President Truman was in office, but in fact this traditional ceremony can be traced back to the American Civil War when President Lincoln was in office. One day in 1863, Lincoln's son Ted suddenly broke into a cabinet meeting and asked for the pardon of a pet turkey named Jack, because the turkey sent to the White House was about to become people's Christmas dinner.
US media said that the US President's "turkey pardon" at the White House was a "slightly strange" performance, especially since most of the turkeys released by the US President were originally expected to survive for a long time. for the rest of his life—eventually died about a month after the amnesty.
The traditional origin of the U.S. president’s turkey pardon is a difficult thing to verify. One theory is that it originated from President Truman. In 1947, the U.S. Poultry Board presented two live turkeys to President Truman, but Truman later did not pardon them, and the two turkeys eventually became the first family's Thanksgiving dinner.
Originally, turkeys were given to the presidents of the United States so that they could enjoy them on Thanksgiving Day. Generally, turkeys will have a sign hanging on their neck that says "Eat and drink well, Mr. President."
By 1963, President John F. Kennedy brought a turkey to an event and declared, "Let's let it go." That year, the words "amnesty" and "suspended death" were used to describe turkeys for the first time in an article in the Washington Post.
What makes the world more certain is that the first president to officially formalize turkey pardoning in the White House as a ceremony was George H.W. Bush. In 1989, turkey pardoning became an annual event.
On November 22, 2006, in Washington, the United States, President Bush pardoned a turkey named "Flyer" during a Thanksgiving release ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House.
On November 20, 2007, Bush held the annual National Thanksgiving Turkey Release Ceremony. These two turkeys are called "May" and "Flower" respectively, which means the "Mayflower" that the Pilgrims took when they came to the New World.
Turkeys are much larger than broilers, generally weighing about 10-16 pounds, and some even weigh more than 40 pounds. Since the turkey is large and meaty, it needs to be roasted in the oven for 3-4 hours or more. Compared with broiler chickens, turkey meat is slightly thicker, but has high nutritional value. It is praised by American nutritionists as a "super nutritious food" with high protein and low fat.
Why eat turkey on Thanksgiving