Thanksgiving is a day centered around family, food, fun, blessings and remembering to be greatful. But the day has also become centered around the main dish: turkey.
Turkey is most commonly the central entree when celebrating Thanksgiving with family. Basting, roasting and carving the turkey around the table with family is an experience many enjoy around the holidays. It can be a bonding time for families to gather and appreciate all that they have been blessed with over the past year.
Gabrielle Rice (11) is a fan of turkey and the bonding that accompanies eating it around the holidays.
“My family and I cook turkey every Thanksgiving, and it’s really fun and a great way for me to bond with them,” Rice said.
Turkey is not just a delicious dish to enjoy on Thanksgiving. It was also rumored to be what the United States was almost associated with as a nation. Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the United States, disapproved of the selection of the eagle as the national bird. He thought the drawing of it looked more like a turkey, so he went into valid reasons about why the turkey would be a better national mascot. He wrote that it is native to our country, courageous, respectable, a little vain, and a little silly—like many Americans.
Erin Hammond (12) has heard about Benjamin Franklin’s joking preference for the turkey over the bald eagle and while she enjoys eating Tukey she does not agree with Franklin.
“I disagree with his judgment as the bald eagle is a much cooler bird that represents America’s national spirit much better,” Hammond said.
In light of Turkey Day, many turkey-themed activities are happening such as the Turkey Day 8k in Downtown Spartanburg on Thanksgiving. The Turkey Trot is a much-anticipated race on the morning of Thanksgiving that gathers hundreds of Spartan-burgers to run 4.8 miles at 7:30 am. Running an 8k is a way many start their Thanksgiving holiday, burning a lot of energy as to be able to eat more supper.
Hammond and her family, before eating dinner together, typically run in the mornings.
“On Thanksgiving, my family will all meet up and have dinner together and turkey is always on the table. My sister, Claire Hammond, is also going to be participating in the Turkey Trot 8k this year with some of her friends. I, on the other hand, enjoy running on the Cottonwood trail and spot the occasional turkey along the way,” Hammond said.
Turkey-themed crafts are all the rage at elementary and preschools during this season–tracing one’s hand on a fall-colored paper, cutting out the hands and decorating them as turkeys is a fun, crafty tradition.
Teacher Cadets, like Addyson Crocker (12), in lleu of the turkey holiday planned a lesson incorporating turkey crafts and thankfulness for her students.
“My lesson plan incorporates a book called ‘Taylor The Thankful Turkey’. This book talked about being grateful for what you have,” Crocker said. “I planned on having the students create their own turkeys whole writing what they are thankful for on the feathers.”
Leftovers are eaten for days after the Thanksgiving holiday. Leftover turkey can be made into sandwiches, soups, or casseroles extending the holiday cheer for days after the parties are over.
