[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1733841518239{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”none” css=”.vc_custom_1734354686143{margin-bottom: 16px !important;}”]It’s hard to imagine a traditional Christmas dinner without turkey. Yet despite their central role in Christmas dinners, turkeys aren’t quite so traditional a Christmas bird as you might expect.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_ =”26873″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” css_animation=”none”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1733842639326{margin-bottom: 32px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
For many families, Christmas dinner simply isn’t complete without a roasted turkey as the centerpiece. But have you ever wondered how this tradition first started and why we eat turkey on Christmas day?
Turkeys may seem like a natural Christmas food now but they weren’t always the star of the holiday meal. In fact eating turkey on December 25th only became popular in the last 200 years or so.
Let’s take a look back through history to find out how the turkey came to dominate Christmas dinners.
Turkeys are native to North America and were introduced to Europe in the 16th century after Spanish explorers brought them back from Mexico. One of the first people in England to enjoy this exotic new delicacy was King Henry VIII.
Historical records show Henry VIII chose to eat turkey instead of the traditional goose for his 1524 Christmas meal. His lavish royal banquets made turkey a frequent menu item though it was still considered a rarity.
So while Henry VIII helped introduce turkey to England, it didn’t immediately replace goose as the Christmas dinner centerpiece. That transition took a few more centuries.
Victorian Turkey Takes Off
By the Victorian era in the 1800s, turkey was gaining ground on goose in popularity. Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol features a turkey. But it was still mostly reserved for the wealthy.
The real turkey takeover came when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made it fashionable. As the royal couple, their dining choices heavily influenced consumer habits.
Queen Victoria was especially fond of turkey instead of goose according to her diaries. So when the royals switched to turkey in the mid-1800s, its destiny as the Christmas meat was sealed.
Crossing the Atlantic
Meanwhile, English settlers had brought domesticated turkeys to America as early as the 17th century. So the birds were already established in the New World by the time turkey trendiness crossed back over the Atlantic.
As Christmas celebrations became popular in America, turkey became the customary holiday protein here as well. Goose used to be more common, but turkey eventually claimed the spotlight.
By the early 1900s, roast turkey was a standard Christmas dish on both sides of the pond thanks to royal and historical influence.
Why Turkey Became the Christmas Favorite
Clearly, getting the royal stamp of approval from the likes of Henry VIII and Queen Victoria gave turkey a huge boost. But why did it overtake other meats like goose and ham to dominate holiday meals?
Here are some of the advantages that helped turkey achieve its Christmas fame:
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Size – Turkeys are large birds perfect for feeding a crowd at Christmas feasts. A turkey can easily serve 10+ people.
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Affordability – As turkey farming expanded, prices dropped making it cost-effective for working class Victorian families. Goose remained expensive.
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Versatility – Turkey’s milder taste complements traditional side dishes like cranberry sauce and stuffing. Its white meat is versatile too.
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Christmas Symbolism – Turkeys represent generosity, abundance and goodwill, fitting imagery for the holiday spirit.
So a mix of royal approval, farming innovations, and fortuitous symbolism helped cement turkey as the centerpiece of Christmas dinner. The tradition may seem old, but it’s less than 200 years old. Understanding its history gives us new appreciation for this festive bird!
What Did People Eat Before Turkey Became Popular?
Prior to the 16th century introduction of turkey from the New World, Christmas dinners in England typically featured goose, boar, peacock, and swan.
Goose was the most customary Christmas fowl from medieval times through the Georgian era. Turkey slowly gained ground through the 1500-1800s as a holiday delicacy for the well-to-do. But it wasn’t until the Victorian period that it finally surpassed goose in popularity.
Other earlier English Christmas feasting foods included thick stews called pottage served in hollowed bread trenchers, intricate meat pies, and the traditional boar’s head centerpiece.
Turkey Today: By the Numbers
Nowadays, turkey has become an indispensable part of Christmas in the UK, US, and beyond:
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Approximately 10 million turkeys are consumed for Christmas in the UK annually.
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1 in 4 Brits buy their turkeys well in advance – some months before Christmas!
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Top leftover turkey dishes are sandwiches, soups/stews, and salads.
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20% of Brits admit to paying extra for higher quality Christmas turkeys.
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87% say Christmas would not be the same without the traditional roast turkey.
The Verdict? Don’t Mess with Tradition!
Eating turkey on Christmas day started as a royal fad, but it’s now a beloved tradition over 400 years in the making. For many families, goose and other meats just don’t feel as festive anymore.
Though turkey took a while to catch on, it has now achieved beloved status as the Christmas meal centerpiece. And the numbers show Brits today feel it’s simply not Christmas without it!
When did turkeys come to England?
The person credited with bringing turkey to England was a merchant named William Strickland. Strickland had ‘a turkey-cock in his pride proper‘ added to his family’s coat of arms, which is thought to be the oldest-surviving artistic depiction of a turkey in European history.
Ironically, some of these English turkeys were even taken to the Americas, where they were cross-bred with wild birds to produce most of the dark-feathered commercial varieties that we recognise today. In fact, many of the pilgrims took turkeys with them, unaware that turkeys were actually already native to the Americas.
Where are turkeys from?
Turkeys aren’t native to the UK. They also aren’t from Turkey.
Instead, turkeys are indigenous to central America. They were named huehxolotl in Nahuatl and were considered sacred in ancient Mesoamerican religion. This is because these birds provided many different resources: from a rich source of protein of meat and eggs, to bright feathers that featured in decorations and arrowheads. There was even a turkey god, Chalchiuhtotolin, god of plagues.
Why do we eat turkey for Christmas (and Thanksgiving)? | Episode 8 | BBC Ideas
FAQ
Why do Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas?
It is probably because of the early settlers’ cultural practices in North America. The wild Turkey would be hunted during the seasonal festivals. The early settlers were from Europe so the Turkey felt like an amazing treat. So it became a habit and it felt normal and fitting to have a Turkey on a special occasion.
Where did the turkey tradition come from?
Although turkeys aren’t native to the UK, they have been eaten in Britain for hundreds of years. There is documentation of turkeys being imported into the UK in the early 16th century, and Henry VIII was apparently the first British monarch to enjoy turkey on Christmas day.
Why did turkey become the official meat of Thanksgiving?
There were a few reasons for this. First, the bird was rather plentiful. One expert estimated that there were at least 10 million turkeys in America at the time of European contact. Second, turkeys on a family farm were almost always available for slaughter.
Why did we eat goose at Christmas?
… centerpiece for Michaelmas, a popular feast day in the Middle Ages, and before that, tradition says, it was offered as a sacrifice to the gods Odin and ThorSep 30, 2024
Why do people eat turkey on Christmas Day?
Well, we’ve got the answer. Turkey is one of the most iconic features of a Christmas dinner. For many families, it simply isn’t a Christmas dinner without a turkey. However, most people don’t know where this tradition started, or why it is that turkeys – rather than goose, chicken or beef – are the most popular option on Christmas Day.
When did turkeys become ‘fashionable’ to eat for Christmas?
Turkeys became ‘fashionable’ to eat for Christmas in the UK in the 1840s and 1850s. In ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens (opens big), which was published in 1843, the Cratchit family first had a goose, but at the end of the book Ebenezer Scrooge gives them a turkey, because it was bigger and more ‘important’.
Who eats Turkey for Christmas dinner?
Eating turkey for Christmas dinner has been a tradition for hundreds of years, and it’s mostly down to a few important people, including a sailor, Charles Dickens & Queen Victoria.
Do you eat turkey on Christmas Day in the UK?
Although turkey is seen as synonymous with Christmas, it is actually less common in the UK than you might expect. A recent YouGov poll found that only half of respondents typically ate turkey on Christmas day – that’s fewer than the number who ate sprouts.
Why should you buy a Turkey for Christmas?
Size – Turkeys are bigger birds that can feed a crowd, which makes them perfect for lavish Christmas feasts. A turkey can serve 10+ people easily. Affordability – As turkey farming scaled up, prices dropped making it affordable for working class Victorian families. Goose remained expensive.
Who was the first person to eat a Turkey on Christmas Day?
King Henry VIII was the first person to eat a turkey on Christmas Day, although the year when this happened is unclear. In Charles Dickens’s “ A Christmas Carol,” which was published in 1843, at the end of the book, Ebenezer Scrooge gives the Cratchit family a turkey.