Americans eat turkey for Thanksgiving mainly because it became the most practical, symbolic “celebration bird” in the 1800s, not because the Pilgrims definitely served it in 1621. Turkeys were plentiful, big enough to feed a family, relatively cheap to raise, and later writers and politicians helped lock turkey in as the iconic centerpiece of the holiday meal.

Why Do We Eat Turkey For Thanksgiving?

Not Really About the “First Thanksgiving”

  • The 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth did feature Wampanoag guests and English settlers, but the only clearly recorded meats were deer and generic “fowl.”
  • That “fowl” was probably ducks or geese, and there is no firm evidence turkey was actually on that table, even though wild turkeys lived in New England.

How Turkey Became Tradition

  • By the late 18th and early 19th centuries, New England families were already serving turkey for big autumn gatherings because the birds were abundant in North America and common on farms.
  • A single turkey could feed a family, and unlike cows (milk) or hens (eggs), turkeys were raised mainly for meat, so they were easier to sacrifice for a feast.

The Power Of Media And Politics

  • Writer and editor Sarah Josepha Hale popularized the idea of a cozy, domestic Thanksgiving with roast turkey at the center through her magazine and a widely read novel in the 1800s.
  • Hale lobbied for a national Thanksgiving, and when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it a U.S. holiday in 1863, her turkey-centered vision helped set the template many families still follow.

Practical Reasons Turkey Stuck

  • Turkeys are large enough to be an impressive centerpiece and feed many people, which suits a once‑a‑year feast.
  • They were relatively affordable compared with larger livestock, and because they’re native to North America, they also came to feel like a distinctly American choice.

Modern Takes And Forum Chatter

  • Today, roughly 9 in 10 Americans still put turkey on the Thanksgiving table, even as some households swap in ham, vegetarian roasts, or other main dishes.
  • In online discussions, people point to tradition, seasonal discounts on turkey, and the bird’s cultural symbolism as reasons they keep serving it—even when they admit they like the sides more than the turkey itself.

Bottom line: Turkey won the Thanksgiving spot thanks to 19th‑century storytelling, national myth‑making, and good old practicality, and the tradition has been reinforced every November since.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.