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Thanksgiving
food, folklore
and facts
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BY ALAN PRAHL
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving memories? Have you ever spent Thanksgiving in a nontraditional way?
One of my memorable Thanksgiving meals was eating pressed turkey loaf and dry stuffing in a hospital. Despite the antiseptic setting, it was one of the best meals I’ve had.
We had driven from northern Minnesota to a Twin Cities hospital, narrowly arriv- ing before a blizzard bearing twenty inches of snow howled into the area. The food was drab, but our son was born safely on Thanksgiving Day and my wife was healthy. Sometimes adversity reminds us about what matters.
The immigrants at the first Thanksgiv- ing arrived from England and settled in Plymouth Colony. Faced with an uncertain life under harsh conditions, they paused to have a feast and give thanks. According to a Smithsonianmag.com article, “What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?,” the menu probably included waterfowl, venison and corn for bread or porridge. There may have been some wild turkey, but many of the foods we associate with Thanksgiving were probably not on their tables.
As immigrants settled in different places along the eastern seaboard, gradually moved inland and state governments got established, a few states declared days of thanksgiving at different times. We didn’t have a national Thanksgiving Day until the Civil War.
On October 3, 1863 President Lincoln made a proclamation setting a national day of Thanksgiving. Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday of November should be a day of Thanksgiving, giving thanks for the many blessings we have. In the middle of a war, they gave thanks.
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Lincoln’s proclamation doesn’t mention any type of food. But over the years, turkey has become the most popular main dish. According to the University of Illinois Exten- sion, 46,000,000 turkeys will be consumed on Thanksgiving Day.
Many cooks have questions like, “How long does it take to defrost a turkey?” Since 1981, Butterball has run a call-in “Turkey Talk-Line”® in November and December to answer questions. They are happy to “talk turkey” with you on the phone, via email or text.
There is a lot of folklore and advice about how to prepare and cook your turkey. One story says that if you put popcorn in the turkey’s cavity, you can tell when your turkey is done. Just wait until the popcorn pops and blows out of the bird and you know your turkey is done.
This is actually a joke, not a recipe! People have visited www.snopes.com, a website devoted to debunking myths, checking to see if this popcorn in the turkey story is true. If you’re seriously considering following advice like this to prepare or bake your bird, better contact the Turkey Talk-Line!
People today face adversity as well.
Accidents and illness can disrupt incomes and lead to large medical bills. Suddenly single people often are transformed from a two-income household to an inadequate one-income household. Countless millen- nials leave school full of promise, but are slammed with massive student loan debt and mushrooming home prices.
If you or your loved ones are facing finan- cial adversity, avoid financial folklore. Talk with reputable advisors who can help you identify options to improve your situation.
Regardless of what you eat at Thanksgiv- ing, may you have time to reflect and give thanks. Whether you live paycheck-to- paycheck or have significant assets, may you be blessed with good health, loving relation- ships and the perspective to appreciate what you have.
Enjoy your holiday.
Alan Prahl is the Education Leader with FISC, the Financial Information & Service Center. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wiscon- sin in Madison and law degree from
Hamline University. A nonprofit program of Goodwill NCW, FISC provides financial counseling and finan- cial education workshops. To learn more, call 920-886- 1000 or visit www.fisc-cccs.org.
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November 2018 | Nature’s Pathways® 47