How did turkey become the bird of choice for holidays?
A type of harvest festival had been celebrated for many years in England and roast goose was part of the offerings. When pilgrims came to the New World, they carried on that tradition but there weren’t many geese. Since there were lots of wild turkeys, they roasted the turkeys instead. Turkeys started to become more popular in the Old World after the publication, in 1843, of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge bought a large turkey for Christmas dinner after seeing the error of his ways.
