Since, the American Thanksgiving Day is around the corner (24th of November) it would be nice to know something about its traditions. This day is sometimes called "The Turkey Day", mainly because Americans celebrate this holiday by eating a big feast with families and the main course is always a turkey (I don't know what kind of eco-turkeys do vegetarians eat). Traditional foods include turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, cornbread, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
THE HISTORY
The history of the Thanksgiving turkey is a bit of a mystery. Nobody knows exactly why it became a traditional dish, but historians have a few different theories.
Thanks to letters and records kept by early American settlers, we know that when the colonists sat down to dine with the Wampanoag Indians, beef and fowl were on the menu. This historical meal would later become known as the first Thanksgiving. A letter written by pilgrim Edward Winslow mentions a turkey hunting trip before the meal.
Another theory attributes the Thanksgiving turkey to the Queen of England. During the 16th century, a fleet of Spanish ships sunk on their way to attack England. According to legend, Queen Elizabeth received this news while eating dinner. She was so thrilled that she ordered another goose be served. Some historians say the early settlers were inspired by the queen's actions and roasted a turkey instead of a goose.
The wild turkey is a native bird of North America. As a result, Benjamin Franklin claimed this made the turkey a more suitable national bird for the United States than the bald eagle. Not everyone agreed with Franklin, however, and the bald eagle became the national emblem for the United States in 1782. The bald eagle may be America's bird 364 days a year, but the turkey has one day all to itself — Thanksgiving.
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| America Explained to non-Americans by The Oatmeal |
TURKEY FOR THE ULTIMATE-DUMMIES
Not everybody can cook these traditional dishes, but let's do something else. Let's draw a fabulous turkey.
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| 2. Draw a curvy line at the bottom. You should be left with a simple outline of your hand. |
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| 1.First, place your palm on a piece of paper, spread your fingers, and trace it. |
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| 3. Draw the most elemental parts of the turkey. A thumb will be your turkey head, draw an eye, beak and wattle here. Legs should be at the bottom. |
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| 4. Add a wing in the middle. Colour it. Traditionally, all of the feathers have different colours. But honestly, you can colour it however you want. |
If you don't have a thumb or a spare hand you can use different templates:
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