No doubt you’re looking forward to tucking into your succulent turkey on Christmas Day, surrounded by all the trimmings and a dollop of cranberry sauce to top it off! Unlike beef or chicken, many of us tend to save our best turkey recipes for Christmas, but where did this tradition start? Find out more about the history of the turkey and why it became so synonymous with Christmas.
Where are turkeys from?
Did you know that turkeys are native to America? The name ‘turkey’ came about because when the Europeans first came across the turkey, they believed they were a form of African guinea fowl, and because they were imported to Europe from Turkey, they were commonly known as turkey fowl.
How did turkeys get to the UK? And when did we start eating them?
It’s believed that the first turkey got to the UK in the 16th century and came from Spain. It’s thought that one of the first notable person to eat turkey was King Henry VIII, which he enjoyed at Christmas time. At the time, the bird was seen as a rather exotic delicacy.
Unlike the peacock, which was also an exotic delicacy at the time, the turkey was a lot bigger, meaning it looked a lot more impressive upon a Royal dining table. It was also a lot nicer to eat compared to a peacock, making it a firm favourite at feasts.
By 1573, turkeys were commonly served at English Christmas dinners, but being so exotic, for a long time it was something reserved for the rich and middle classes, until the Second World War when it became a lot cheaper to rear and it became a celebratory meat, associated with Christmas. It also became a popular choice for Americans at Thanksgiving too!
When did we start eating turkey at Christmas?
Before turkey, it was goose that was a popular meat for the working class. Christmas ‘goose clubs’ were even set up to help the poverty stricken save up for their Christmas dinner meat.
Famously, Bob Cratchit from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol saved up his earnings to buy his family a goose, before Scrooge buys the family a huge turkey as a treat.
Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there? Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"
"What! the one as big as me?" returned the boy. "What a delightful boy!" said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!"
"It's hanging there now," replied the boy. "Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and buy it."
The novel made turkey synonymous with Christmas here in the UK, and in the 20th century as films popularised the Christmas turkey, it became a popular festive meat for homes across the world.