ALT-3 How the Turkey became a Symbol of Thanksgiving
How the turkey became a symbol of Thanksgiving is a story in itself – one of manystories. The one that we hear the most originated in 1621, when our country first celebrated the "First Thanksgiving Feast." This was a three-day harvest meal that was made from the Pilgrim's bountiful harvest that would keep them alive during the brutal upcoming winter months.
Painful memories of the previous winter months could hardly be absent in the early Pilgrim's minds, a devastating winter that took approximately half the Pilgrim population due to starvation, disease, illness and lack of adequate winter shelter in a harsh and brutal land. In comparison, the fall harvest of 1621 was honored with prayer, gratefulness, thanksgiving, caring, sharing, and praise for the bountiful food they would have during the coming winter.
It was also a special day of invitation for the 91-invited Native Americans who had played a big hand in helping the remaining colonists survive in this untamed and brutal New World. Many current Thanksgiving symbols originate from this first Thanksgiving meal – a meal made from what was planted, picked, fished, hunted, and traded – all by the hands of Pilgrims who had been taught by their invited guests.
- Corn was brought by the Native Americans, along with their Indian fried bread
- Cranberries (known as wild crane berry), bitter to eat but sweetened to taste
- Pole beans that were planted by the Native Americans in their own cornfields, with cornstalks to grow on
- Potatoes were considered poisonous, so boiled squash or pumpkin was used instead
- Pumpkins were boiled instead of pies made as the flour supply had run out, with the leaves used for salads
- Wild turkey, fish, venison, wild ducks and geese
- Wild plums and berries picked during the year
How the turkey became a symbol of the Thanksgiving Day meal plays a big part in not only America's history but also for that of Spain and England. Without this early history, the bird would never have become the symbol it is today. A highly intelligent and crafty bird, the wild turkey was native first to North and Central America. The Spanish Conquistadors would eventually return to Spain in 1498 with their newly found bird as part of their bounty.
By 1540, the turkey would become a holiday favorite in England. Obviously, the turkey had a long history up until "Turkey-Day" originated. And … if it had been up to Benjamin Franklin, the noble turkey would have become the national bird of the United States instead of the bald eagle, as he felt only the turkey was "the true original native of America."
"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a bird of bad moral character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him….For the truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America …" letter written by Benjamin Franklin to his daughter, Sarah Bache, on January 26, 1784 (ASCU,letters from Benjamin Franklin)
~ Official proclamations of Thanksgiving Day
The First Thanksgiving Feast would not be repeated for several years. On June 20, 1676, when the council of Charlestown, Massachusetts gathered to express thanks, they proclaimed June 29 as their day of Thanksgiving. But … it was without the presence of the Native Americans who had specifically not been invited. This was meant to be a celebration to not only honor Thanksgiving and the fall harvest, but to honor the colonists' victory over the so-called "heathen natives." This would culminate in the deaths of 10 to 30 million Native Americans. One hundred years later, all 13 colonies joined into a Thanksgiving celebration in October of 1777, to celebrate their patriotic victory over British at Saratoga.
By 1789, Thanksgiving Day was officially proclaimed by George Washington, yet with many people opposing it. They did not feel the hardships of the early Pilgrims warranted any celebration or honor bestowed on them. This was later supported by President Thomas Jefferson, who would oppose Thanksgiving entirely. After a 40-year one-woman campaign by Sarah Josepha Hale, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the third Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday. From then on, Thanksgiving was celebrated every year with turkey and all the trimmings. By 1941, Congress would sanction Thanksgiving as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday.
~ The symbolism of the turkey
When the Native Americans first introduced the wild turkey to the Pilgrims, the white people did not understand the respect and honor the New World natives held for this bird. The Native Americans believed that the turkey's power was the strongest during the fall harvests, and was spiritually associated with Mother Earth. The turkey give-away of the natives was celebrated annually as a tribal celebration and still is today.
Each tribal member makes sacrifices or offers possessions to help the old, feeble, ill, or poor. The bird is held in honor because every year it gave its life in order to help -people survive - with the nourishment of its meat, feathers for robes and blankets, decorations for spiritual rituals, bones for sewing needles, and as whistles for the children.
When the Native Americans shared the knowledge of this sacred bird with the arriving colonists, it was because they considered the newly arrivals in need - they were sick, dying, hungry, needy, feeble, and poor. They showed the new people how to catch and use the wild turkey, how to fish with nothing, how to plant and harvest corn, and fight off evil spirits with their turkey celebrations.
The turkey represented many things to the early Native Americans. knowledge that was freely offered to the newly arriving people who had been close to perishing to complete annihilation. The turkey was used as a symbolism of power, unquestionable authority of Mother Earth, for spiritual transformation, and as a symbol of creation between earth and heaven – with the natives always honoring and appeasing the turkey every fall.
~ Early domestication of the wild turkey
Documentation shows us that maize, white tortillas and fruit were the main staples of Mexico's pre-Columbian Aztecs. Domesticated wild turkey and turkey eggs were their primary meat sources. The favorite Aztec turkey recipe was to braise the wild bird and cover it with a hot and spicy chocolate sauce known as Red Mole Sauce, a favorite also of the Mayans and other Central American tribes.
The little dark brown cocoa bean (cacao) was finely ground and cooked with the readily available cinnamon-flavored bark (canella) along with tiny bits of peyote mushroom. Another early civilization of Southwestern United States was the Anasazi tribe. Like the Aztecs, they learned to domesticate the wild turkeys for their diet. The birds of both tribal groups were recognized as the ancestors of the current turkey that we use for Thanksgiving today.
The turkeys that the Spanish Conquistadors returned to Europe with were later bred with the local subspecies of Spanish turkeys. The resulting turkeys were then brought back to the New World's colonial settlers around 1600. However, the turkeys were domesticated for many other reasons – turkey feathers for ceremonies and rituals, turkey feather robes, and for turkey feather blankets. It was not until 1100 AD did they become a very important food source for the Ancestral Puebloans. (News)
Current DNA analysis shows that turkeys from early history are different from today's birds. The early turkeys from the Anasazi are thought to be the ancestors of the wild turkeys we see today, the same bird that is on the rise in U.S. meat consumption for the past ten years. Unlike the tame turkeys of today, these early ancestors were "wild and wary to the point of genius," said author G. T. Klein. The story of how the turkey became a symbol of Thanksgiving is an interesting one and a strong part of our history - offering so much more than what most of us recognize.
