Thanksgiving is a traditional holiday mainly of the United States and Canada, a day for family members to gather together to enjoy a warm dinner, and of course, an indispensable dish of the day. This is a deliciously prepared turkey. Let's find out what's special about this holiday!
Pardon Turkey
Every Thanksgiving season, the President of the United States will "pardon" a selected turkey. The chicken was then brought back to the farm, where it spent the rest of its days.
However, contrary to what most Americans know, President George HW Bush is not the first US president to perform this ritual. According to the White House, the tradition dates back to President Lincoln, when his son Tad begged him to write an absolution for the turkey that was about to be served in his family's meal, believing it to have the same rights. to live. Mr. Lincoln indulged his son and the turkey was freed.
The Origin of Thanksgiving Day
America's first Thanksgiving was held in November 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to honor the Indians and celebrate the first harvest in the new land.
It began when a group of pilgrims from Europe came to America aboard the Mayflower in November 1620. They landed at Plymouth in the New England region just at the time when the winter here was extremely harsh. Along with that, the lack of life and the epidemic killed 46 people out of 102 of the delegation.
Fortunately, they met good Indians who provided food and taught them to grow corn and hunt wild animals. In November 1621, the immigrant group invited the Indians to celebrate Thanksgiving to God for blessing the successful harvest, helping them to survive and thrive.
Meaning of Thanksgiving Day to Americans
For many Americans, Thanksgiving carries an important symbolic meaning associated with the founding legend of the nation. Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower in 1620 were the first group to set foot in the New World, surviving and establishing the first colony of Massachusetts.
Earlier attempts by the British to emigrate had failed. But the holiday reminded Native Americans of the sadness of the injustice they had to endure years later.
Anyway, this is also an opportunity for the people of this country to gather, gather with their families, enjoy a warm meal together and send each other thanks. Therefore, Thanksgiving is also considered a family holiday.
Why is turkey a traditional Thanksgiving meal?
In the United States, more than 50 million turkeys are brought to the table each year, and most of them are for Thanksgiving. To this day, no one has determined exactly why turkey was chosen as a traditional Thanksgiving dish in the US, historians have a few theories.
In letters from early American settlers, the historic meal between the settlers and the Wampanoag tribe consisted of beef and an assortment of chicken. Later, that meal became known as the first Thanksgiving. Although it is not known what type of chicken was used in the meal, in a letter from the pilgrim Edward Winslow of the time wrote about a famous meal in 1621 referring to a turkey hunt before the meal. dark.
Another theory about Thanksgiving turkey is that it was inspired by Queen Elizabeth I. In the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth received word that a fleet of Spanish warships had sunk en route. attacked England, while having dinner, she was so excited that she asked for an extra roast goose. Some claim that inspired by this event, the first settlers in America filmed a turkey.
Others believe that the reason turkey has become a traditional Thanksgiving dish is that wild turkey are native to North America.
>> Read more: 10 Interesting Facts About Christmas in Canada
Comments