Overview
- The lone eyewitness record from 1621, Edward Winslow’s letter, describes a three-day feast with deer and unspecified “fowle,” leaving historians unsure whether turkey was actually served.
- Nineteenth-century editor Sarah Josepha Hale promoted a national, family-focused holiday with turkey at its center, culminating in President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation and Congress fixing the date in 1941.
- Media like Godey’s Lady’s Book popularized turkey menus, while practical factors—large size and lower cost than beef or pork—helped entrench the bird as the preferred centerpiece.
- Cultural influences also mattered, including Charles Dickens’ portrayal of a celebratory turkey in 1843, which reinforced the bird’s festive image in Anglo-American tradition.
- Modern traditions largely took shape in the 20th century, from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade starting in 1924 to NFL games and an annual presidential turkey pardon formalized in 1989, with the USDA reporting more than 205 million turkeys raised on about 2,500 U.S. farms in 2024.