Which is more popular, Turkey or Ham on Thanksgiving?

During Thanksgiving many Americans purchase Turkey or ham, or both! But which one is better? 

 

Turkey is a staple item on a Thanksgiving table, but how did it become known as the Thanksgiving bird? Well when the settlers dined for Thanksgiving with the wampanoag tribe they had different kinds of meat and sides on the table. Historians don’t know if a turkey was served but a letter from a pilgrim, Edward Winslow, stated that a turkey hunting trip was before the meal. Some historians believe that early settlers took inspiration from Queen Elizabeth I in serving turkey on the table instead of goose. Although we might never truly know the reason for picking turkey on Thanksgiving, we do know that it's a classic.

 

Another popular item to be served on Thanksgiving is ham. There isn’t a set history on why ham was chosen for Thanksgiving. Many people do not like turkey and ham is a great substitute for it. Ham also is easily available for many people to purchase and it’s a great alternative for people to mix up their holiday meal.

 

Both options are very popular to set on a dinner table. Americans consume about 46 million turkeys and 24 million pounds of ham just on Thanksgiving. A survey done by toronto news states 58% of people prefer turkey over ham on thanksgiving. Personally I like turkey more than ham and I look forward to eating it every year on Thanksgiving 

 

Sources:

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/10/08/turkey-or-ham-thanksgiving-debates/#:~:text=Turkey%20was%20a%20resounding%20winner,per%20cent%20of%20the%20vote

 

https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-we-eat-turkey-on-thanksgiving#:~:text=Some%20historians%20say%20the%20early,States%20than%20the%20bald%20eagle

 

Do you like Turkey or Ham more? 

 

What’s your favorite dish to eat on Thanksgiving? 

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Replies

  • Ham please! Fun topioc choice and very timely. Well done Lejla! I do think you could have commented a few more times.

  • In my personal opinion I like to eat turkey more than ham on Thanksgiving. My family and I eat turkey every year on Thanksgiving, and I feel like turkey is more common to eat than ham. My favorite dish to eat on thanksgiving would be the mashed potatoes and gravy. 

  • I think that the split between turkey and ham is about 50/50. I do not have a preference, for I like both of them. My favorite dish is definitely green bean casserole. I think that part of the reason for people eating ham is the price. There is a lot of price raising during the Thanksgiving season.

  • I would eat either but my family is very picky so we usually have more chicken for Thanksgiving. We do have a little bit less of turkey and Thanksgiving is really the only time we have it. My favorite dish to eat on Thanksgiving is mashed sweet potatoes.

  • I think turkey is better than ham, and my family chooses to serve turkey every year. I think that ham became more popular because it was cheaper than turkey because the price of turkey would skyrocket during the thanksgiving season.

  • I like Turkey more on thanksgiving. I like them both but my family makes really good turkey so I would rather have turkey.

  • I prefer to eat turkey than ham for Thanksgiving. Both are very traditional foods for Thanksgiving, however, my personal preference will always be turkey because my family always prepares turkey. My favorite dish on Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes and gravy or stuffing. 

  • I like eating turkey more on Thanksgiving. I also eat ham but I perfer turkey. When I think of meat for Thanksgiving I think more of turkey which makes it better to eat during the holiday. My favorite dish for Thanksgiving is mashed potatoes. 

    • I agree. Most people think of turkey when thinking of Thanksgiving. 

  • This reply was deleted.
    • I do the same. Although I think turkey is better than ham during Thanksgiving if there is another side dish I will most likely chose that over the turkey. 

This reply was deleted.
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