Do Americans eat turkey for Christmas, or is it just a Thanksgiving food?

[Sandra Piddock]

I'm curious about this. I know that turkey is at the heart of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but do Americans also eat turkey at Christmas? Or do they not have a specific food for Christmas dinner? Is it just a UK thing?

 

[Shadow]

Yup, thats all they eat.
I think turkey is actually the original american bird, i.e. originating in north and south america, not just the US, which somehow was imported to europe, like tobacco. Turkey being 'traditional' in the UK is relatively new. Posh people ate goose, less well-off ate chcken.

 

[Kate]

I'm curious about this. I know that turkey is at the heart of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but do Americans also eat turkey at Christmas? Or do they not have a specific food for Christmas dinner? Is it just a UK thing?

No, that is absolutely not all we eat for Christmas dinner here. Some families choose to have a turkey on the Christmas dinner table again a month after Thanksgiving, but the bigger choice is generally ham. At least it's a few months until we have to make ham again for Easter dinner!

I've also noticed that more people are starting to go what used to be very non-traditional with things like a lasagna dinner or an oyster dinner for Christmas.

 

[Sandra Piddock]

Thanks for the American viewpoint on that, Kate. We also cook ham for Christmas. Some people serve it with the turkey dinner, others have it cold for supper, but a large ham is a UK Christmas tradition in most households. Interesting that you have ham at Easter - in the UK it's usually turkey again, but we don't do Thanksgiving, so we have to keep up some way!

 

[Arch]

Thanks for the American viewpoint on that, Kate. We also cook ham for Christmas. Some people serve it with the turkey dinner, others have it cold for supper, but a large ham is a UK Christmas tradition in most households. Interesting that you have ham at Easter - in the UK it's usually turkey again, but we don't do Thanksgiving, so we have to keep up some way!

Of course, it used to be a goose or chicken at Christmas, not turkey, and I think the turkey for Easter thing is fairly recent - in fact I think it really started back in the 90's (I worked in a freezer food store, and remember how the number of turkeys sold for Easter started to increase).

 

[MyDigitalpoint]

Turkey is eating all year round in America, but mostly as a result of melted traditions brought by immigrants. In Spain and Latin American countries Turkey is traditional in Christmas and New Year as they don't have a Thanksgiving day. They also use too roast it in Eastern along with other food that is also traditional during the Christmas season.

In some American cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, it's common to find turkey for Christmas, but for some American depends much on family traditions that privilege turkey for Thanksgiving, as goose or chicken for Christmas and New Year. Personally I'm a turkey fan

 

[MyPaperBleedsInk]

Pretty sure it varies by family. Turkey is eaten year round, though, but it is more popular during Thanksgiving here. At our Christmas gatherings we'll make anything ranging from ham, to turkey, meatballs, smokies.... It depends on who volunteers to cook the meat dishes.

 

[Lullabelle]

When I was growing up we had turkey every Christmas but as I get older my tastes have changed, TVC isn't all that keen so we don't bother. Last year he cooked a forerib of beef from our local farmer, roast potatoes and veg. This was served with a bottle of red, we paid a little more than we would normally, ok it was a 'Sunday roast' type meal but we spent more on quality produce so it was very special. I don't miss turkey.