Thanksgiving is quickly approaching…turkey day is almost here!

I love the holiday season and like most people I adore Christmas. However, if I had to pick one day of the year I love most it would be Thanksgiving.

Why you might ask?

Well, I love what it stands for. One day out of the year we stop and reflect on what we are grateful for. One day where we sit and feast with family and friends with no presents or expectations. My favorite things combined into one holiday: cooking, eating, and family. Also, I love Autumn– it’s my favorite season. While many leaves have lost that vibrant orange, I kind of love the faded brown color; patches of fog and frost; and November winds. The smell of wood stoves, knitted sweaters, and a glass of wine by a fireplace all add to the charm of this special season!

Another aspect of Thanksgiving I love is the history of how it all began.

The faith and fortitude of the pilgrims crossing the stormy Atlantic and starting a new life in search of freedom is inspiring. The pilgrims lost so many family members on the journey, and many more when they arrived–and yet, they still sat and found reasons to be grateful. One of those reasons was the Native American tribe that welcomed the pilgrims and helped them adapt to this harsh new land. The joining of the Wampanoag and the colonists was one of our nation’s first attempts at peace. It’s a lesson we should all never forget. Two of histories’ adversaries gave peace a chance. I hope people still find this inspiring. I know it inspires me. I’m sure people will criticize me for my hopeless optimism of that moment in history. But I think it’s a moment to be shared and proud of in our American history.

But did they eat turkey on that first Thanksgiving?

It’s possible they did, but it wasn’t the main course. Governor William Bradford wrote about feasting on wildfowl such as geese, swans, pigeons. He said they also ate wild turkeys, venison and Indian corn over a period of three days.

By the next century, the turkey was the main meat served on Thanksgiving. In the mid-1900s, turkeys were so integral in our Thanksgiving tradition that turkeys still sold during the depression and ten million pounds of turkey were shipped to soldiers in World War II.

One of my favorite turkey day traditions is the presidential pardon of a turkey.

Every year one very lucky turkey receives a pardon from the president. The tradition started in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy sent a 55-pound turkey back saying “we’ll just let this one grow.” But the first official presidential turkey pardon was President George H.W. Bush in 1989. Apparently, turkeys have been a common gift sent to presidents since the 1870s. Despite President Calvin Coolidge trying to discourage people from sending so many turkeys, he still received the birds as a gift every year. However, it wasn’t just turkeys he received. Sometimes people sent quail, ducks, geese, and rabbit. But the most unusual Thanksgiving critter Calvin Coolidge received was a raccoon! Thank goodness the Coolidge family did not eat the raccoon. Instead, they made him a family pet!!

This year’s presidential honoree turkey Butter will be joining his buddy Bread and turkey friends Peas and Carrots (from last year’s pardon) on Virginia Tech’s Gobbler’s Rest exhibit in Blacksburg Virginia.  I went to the white house website whitehouse.gov to get the goods on Butter.

This Year’s Honoree Butter:

Hatch Date: July 11, 2019

Height: 32″ Weight: 45 lbs  Wing Span: 35″

Favorite Music/Band: Bluegrass

Favorite Snack: Cheerwine

Gobble Style: Loquacious (that means talkative)

Favorite Sport: College Basketball

Favorite Pastime: Leaf Peeping

Goal: Mastering aerial yoga

As much as I adore animals and I love watching the presidential turkey pardon every year, I still looove to cook and feast on a juicy delicious turkey for Thanksgiving. It just wouldn’t be the same without one!

According to TIME magazine, founding father Alexander Hamilton sat down to a disappointing turkey-less Thanksgiving in the late 19th century and stated: “No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day.”

I couldn’t agree more Mr. Hamilton!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!