Unless you grew up in a predominately vegetarian household, chances are that turkey was a mainstay on Thanksgiving. As kids at school, we were taught why we celebrate Thanksgiving. But, have you ever stopped to wonder if a turkey was really cooked and served at the first Thanksgiving?<\/p>\n
The earliest accounts of the first Thanksgiving do share that wildfowl was present in the area and also probably part of the menu. However, wildfowl can mean anything from turkey to duck and geese.<\/p>\n
There is no way of knowing for sure what was on the table, but most historians place their bets that venison was the meat most likely served. Back then, venison was the main meat eaten and there are many accounts of its presence at early feasts.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind, it took centuries for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday. It wasn\u2019t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of \u201cThanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens,\u201d to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month.<\/p>\n
Like traditions always do, the food served on that day evolved over centuries. In reality, wild turkey was native and plentiful to North America. It\u2019s more likely that our tradition of serving turkey has to do with its availability and not what was served on the first Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n