Category Archives: Holidays

History, Holidays

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr Day

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Martin Luther King, Jr.(1964)
Photo:Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress digital id cph 3c26559)

 

The following stirring speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the best calls for equality in modern times. King reminds us that in seeking freedom not only for African-Americans, it is also for everyone. He wanted all people to be treated fairly, justly and not by the color of their skin but on the content of their character. He did not want it done out of bitterness or hatred but to work towards brotherhood where all would be free.  We honor and remember a man who sought freedom not by the gun but by peaceful and forceful demonstrations to remind many of the promises of this country and what God himself has taught us in Holy Scripture.

I Have A Dream
Lincoln Memorial
August 28, 1963

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we’ve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men — yes, black men as well as white men — would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check that has come back marked “insufficient funds.”

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and security of justice. We have also come to his hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end but a beginning. Those who hoped that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “for whites only.” We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no we are not satisfied and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends — so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning “My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the Pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi — from every mountainside.

Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring — when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children — black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics — will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

 

Sources

“Martin Luther King Jr.,” Biography, January 13, 2025, https://www.biography.com/activists/martin-luther-king-jr.

“Martin Luther King Jr: Day, Death, Quotes,” HISTORY, last modified January 13, 2026, accessed January 18, 2026, https://www.history.com/articles/martin-luther-king-jr.

“King Holiday 2026 – the King Center,” The King Center, last modified January 18, 2026, https://thekingcenter.org/.

“Martin Luther King Jr. Online – Speeches, Pictures, Quotes, Biography & Videos for Teachers, Students and Fans,” https://www.mlkonline.net/.

History, Holidays, Religion

Easter Orthodox Christmas Day (7 January)

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Titanic News Channel Wishes All Our Friends In Eastern Orthodox a Joyous and Blessed Christmas Day!

 

The Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard van Honthorst 1590–1656)
Image: Public Domain (Wikipedia)

 

Why Does Eastern Orthodox Celebrate Christmas on January 7?

Eastern Orthodox follows the Julian calendar for their liturgical year. The Gregorian calendar, named for Pope Gregory XIII, was proclaimed in a Papal Bull in 1582. Its full implementation took 300 years owing to many countries not wanting to adopt a calendar proclaimed by a pope. Most Catholic countries quickly adopted while others adopted it later as the calendar was accurate and corrected the problems of the Julian. While dislike of the Catholic church was a reason in some cases, there were other reasons such governments being slow to act as well as local customs and traditions that had to be overcome. Adopting the new calendar required a major change, namely setting the calendar forward 13 days. That was a major feat implementing the change in many countries. The tradeoff though was clear. The newer calendar was more accurate so that you no longer had to make manual calculations to adjust for solstices, equinoxes, and other events under the old calendar. Those problems were now gone.

For Eastern Orthodox, the issue was not the accuracy of the new calendar but with the Papal Bull itself that had things in it they did not agree with and thus rejected it. The Congress of Constantinople (1923) created a Revised Julian Calendar that synchronized with the Gregorian on everything except Easter. This was accepted by Orthodox Churches in Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria. It was rejected by Orthodox churches in Jerusalem, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Georgia. Due to the split, the date for Easter is different between the two since the Revised Julian Calendar uses a different formula that the other churches rejected. That is why Christmas is celebrated by Greek Orthodox Church on December 25 but Russian Orthodox on January 7. The last country to adopt the Gregorian calendar was Saudi Arabia in 2016.

Sources

Christmas Worldwide. “Eastern Orthodox Christmas: Celebrations in Russia, Greece, and Ukraine – Christmas Worldwide.” Christmas Worldwide. Last modified January 18, 2025. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://christmases.net/eastern-orthodox-christmas-celebrations-in-russia-greece-and-ukraine/.

“A Papal Calendar?” Orthodox Church in America. Last modified January 3, 2017. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://www.oca.org/reflections/fr.-lawrence-farley/a-papal-calendar.

Wikipedia contributors. “List of Adoption Dates of the Gregorian Calendar by Country.” Wikipedia. Last modified October 23, 2025. Accessed January 6, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adoption_dates_of_the_Gregorian_calendar_by_country

History, Holidays, Religion

Epiphany Sunday (Three Kings Day)

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Wise Men Adoration
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ((1617–1682)
Toledo Museum of Art
Public Domain

We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage. (Matthew 2:2)

Epiphany Sunday is observed by most Christian denominations as a day in which Jesus is revealed to the world when the Magi arrive. It was practiced before Christmas was formally observed by the church.

In the early days, Christians set aside one day a week as the Lord’s Day which became Sunday. By the second century, Lent, Easter and the Pentecost were established as well. And by the third century, Epiphany was observed to celebrate Jesus’ birth, his baptism, the arrival of the Magi, and the miracle at Cana. Once Advent and Christmas began to be formally celebrated in the fourth century, Advent was the preparation for the birth, Christmas celebrated as the savior’s birth, and Epiphany was the day in which he was manifested to the world with arrival of the Magi and also his baptism and first miracle in Cana. Catholic Eastern Rite and Eastern Orthodox celebrate the day as when Jesus’ divinity was revealed at his baptism on the River Jordan (called Theophany). Not all Protestant denominations follow this observance such as the Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonite and others). In the Catholic church, the Sunday after Epiphany is celebrated as the Baptism of Jesus and his first miracle.

Adoration of the Magi
El Greco (1541–1614)
Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

The traditional date is January 6 and is twelve days after the birth of Jesus. It also marked the end of the Christmas season with this important holiday. The day before was usually the day to take down Christmas decorations and the day itself had its own traditions and feasts. Marking your front door by writing the names of the wise men with chalk became popular. Special cakes and processions took place as well such as Dia de los Reyes. Children would often get gifts and candy. In Italy, La Befana, the Christmas Witch, delivers gifts during the night for children. France has a special cake, Galette des Rois, with the figure of baby Jesus inside it to be found by a lucky person. And many Spanish speaking countries (and localities) have Los Reyes Magos festivities and gifts for kids as well. So, the day is a festive one for many people. And a nice way to wind down the Christmas season. These traditions and celebrations continue to this day.

However, in the United States and several European countries, the liturgical observation is no longer on January 6. One of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council allowed for the episcopal conference in each nation to request to move certain holy days of obligation to the nearest Sunday. Since it was hard to for people to attend mass during the week due to work, school, or travel, moving it to the nearest Sunday between January 2-8 seemed the best way to make sure people attended the mass. It is important to note that this was a pastoral not liturgical change. Both the historical and universal date remains unchanged.

Sources

“The History of the Epiphany: Here’s What You Need to Know – EWTN Great Britain.” https://ewtn.co.uk/article-the-history-of-the-epiphany-heres-what-you-need-to-know/.

“Why The United States Celebrates Epiphany on Sunday Instead of January 6 – Catholic Online News.” Last modified January 2, 2026. https://catholiconline.news/faith/why-the-united-states-celebrates-epiphany-on-sunday-instead-of-january-6/.

“8 Wonderful International Ways to Celebrate the Epiphany.” The Writings of Cora Evans. https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/8-wonderful-international-ways-to-celebrate-the-epiphany.

Correale, Marta. “La Befana: All You Need to Know About Italy’s Most Beloved Witch (With Coloring Sheet for Kids) | Mama.” Mama Loves Italy, December 16, 2024. Accessed January 4, 2026. https://mamalovesitaly.com/la-befana-italy-christmas-witch/.

Manzanares, Mariana. “7 Curious Epiphany and Three Kings’ Day Traditions Around the World – Catholic Mass Times.” Horarios de Misa, December 30, 2025. https://catholicmasstimes.com/7-curious-epiphany-and-three-kings-day-traditions-around-the-world/.

Roos, Dave. “What Is the Christian Holiday of Epiphany?” HISTORY. Last modified December 19, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/epiphany-three-kings-day.

Suggested Reading

dePaola, Tomie. The Story of the Three Wise Kings. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2020.

Longenecker, Dwight, Mystery of the Magi: The Quest to Identify the Three Wise Men, Hardcover. (Regenery, 2021).

Harrington, Paul. Epiphany: The Untold Epic Journey of the Magi. Booksurge Publishing, 2009.

Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives (National Geographic Books, 2012).

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History, Holidays

Welcome to January

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Photo of Head of Janus
Vatican Museum, Rome
Source: Loudon Dodd (via Wikimedia)

January is the first month on the Gregorian and the Julian calendar. It is named after the Roman god of doors, Janus, as this month is a doorway into the new year. Janus is an interesting Roman god as he is two-faced. Thus, he can see both the future and the past. In January, you can see the previous year and view the upcoming one. The old Roman calendar ended in December and did not start up till March. This was changed later with the addition of January to replace March but was made official when the Julian calendar was adopted in 8 BC. The new Julian calendar used the solar cycle rather than the lunar making it more accurate. Unfortunately, its creator Sosigenes, an Alexandrian astronomer who helped create the Egyptian solar calendar, made a small mathematical error of 11 minutes and 14 seconds. Small but significant as the calendar started going out of sync with the solar cycle over time making it hard to use for holy days that required a precise measurement in order to be done at the correct date and time.

Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry Folio 1, verso: January
Part of Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry by Limbourg brothers (fl. 1402–1416)
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

This became apparent by the Middle Ages and calls for it to be resolved became more urgent. It was no longer minutes but by then 10 days. This would ultimately result in the Gregorian Calendar (named for Pope Gregory XIII) that was adopted in 1548 by the Catholic church and the Papal States. This resolved the major problem regarding the scheduling of Easter. Since however this was a civic reform, it was up to each nation to decide whether to implement or not. It would gradually be adopted by many countries. Spain was the first to switch over and that included much of Roman Catholic Europe. Protestant countries were not keen on changing right away since the reform was made by the Catholic Church. The British would adopt it 1750 but by a method to avoid saying it was from the Catholic Church. Sweden adopted in 1753. Turkey would switch to using the fiscal year as Gregorian in 1917 and then for the entire calendar in 1926. Russia, under the Communist government, changed in 1918. Greece would change in 1923. Saudi Arabia would formally adopt it in 2016. The change between calendars was startling at first. You might be in November and suddenly thirteen days back in October!

Eastern Orthodox denominations decided for religious purposes to use the Julian rather than Gregorian for their liturgical year (separate from the civic calendar). Which is why in countries  like Greece or Russia the celebration of Christmas and Easter is currently 13 days after it is celebrated elsewhere.

Sources

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The Month of January 2026: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified December 9, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-january-holidays-facts-folklore.

Tikkanen, Amy. “Why Does the New Year Start on January 1?” Encyclopedia Britannica. Accessed December 31, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/story/why-does-the-new-year-start-on-january-1.

“The Month of January.” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/january.html

Christmas, Holidays, Religion

Merry Christmas!

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Titanic News Channel wishes everyone a blessed and joyous Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!

 

The Adoration of the Shepherds (Gerard van Honthorst 1590–1656)
Image: Public Domain (Wikipedia)

….And it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless Us, Every One!” (Dickens, A Christmas Carol)

 

Holidays, Miscellaneous

Today is the Winter Solstice (21 December 2025)

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The Winter Solstice occurs between December 20-23 with the sun directly overhead the Tropic of Capricorn. This results in the North Pole being tilted the furthest away making it the shortest day of the year followed by the longest night. The further north you live during winter means less daylight during the winter. Some areas in Alaska or Scandinavia can be nearly dark or near dark during this period. By contrast, those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate the Summer Solstice, as it marks the beginning of summer. Which is why while people shiver in Philadelphia and New York for Christmas but down in Australia, Christmas is celebrated outdoors with a barbeque.

For the exact time of the Winter Solstice where you are, please go to https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/seasons.html.

Winter Landscape
George Hodan
Publicdomainpictures.net

Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as it marked an important time in the agricultural cycle. By this time all crops and livestock had been prepared for winter. Important foodstuffs were stored for the months when virtually nothing grew. Wine and beer, which had been fermenting during the year, was ready. Cattle and pigs would often be killed at the start of winter so they would not have to be fed during this time. The early months of winter were tough in many places and often called the “famine months” since little food was to be found. Many cultures observed the Winter Solstice as a renewal or that the year was reborn. For out of the seeming withdrawal of the sun, it would come back just as strong and powerful as before. Thus, the Winter Solstice was seen by many as the start of a new year such as the old Roman Feast of the Unconquered Sun (Sol Invictus) which happened around the 25th of December.

Sources

———. “Winter Solstice – Date, Definition & Traditions | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 28, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/winter-solstice.

“Winter Solstice.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified December 20, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/science/winter-solstice.

Boeckmann, Catherine. “The First Day of Winter: Winter Solstice 2025.” Almanac.Com. Last modified December 15, 2025. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-winter-winter-solstice.

Donvito, Tina. “15 Fascinating Winter Solstice Traditions Around the World.” Reader’s Digest, August 6, 2025. https://www.rd.com/list/winter-solstice-traditions/.

Osen, Frode. “Sol Invictus: The Unconquered Sun in Roman Religion – Roman Empire.” Roman Empire – for Those Thinking About the Roman Empire. Last modified November 23, 2023. Accessed December 20, 2025. https://romanempirehistory.com/roman-gods/sol-invictus/.

History, Holidays

Why is the Day after Thanksgiving called Black Friday?

Black Friday
Petr Kratochvil
publicdomainpibtures.net

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, origins are confusing owing to how retailers remade the day.

The first reference to Black Friday comes from a financial crisis in 1869. U.S. gold markets crashed on September 23, 1869, triggered by the actions of financiers Jim Fisk and Jay Gould trying to buy up gold and selling at a high price. It worked and the price of gold had skyrocketed allowing them to sell for a huge profit. When the sell off began, it caused panic in the stock market as investors who had put money into gold suddenly were dealt with losing their investments. Banks and farmers were hard hit losing substantial money. Since it occurred on a Friday it became known as Black Friday.

Its connection to retail came from a different route. News reports circulated that the day after Thanksgiving was a make-or-break day for retailers. Retailers struggling to make profits looked to the day after Thanksgiving to put them into the black meaning they are making money rather than in the red or losing money. So, retailers called the day Black Friday in the expectation of making big money not only for that day but for the entire Christmas season. Retail forecasts for seasonal buying were made from the sales and revealed whether people were spending or holding back. While this is factual, it is not where the modern use of the term comes from. It comes from the 1950’s and the city of Philadelphia.

In Philadelphia the police referred to the day as Black Friday owing to the high volume of shoppers hitting the stores since Saturday was the Army-Navy game. It was total bedlam in the streets with hordes of people and cars in the streets. And this led to criminals to take advantage of the situation by stealing wallets, purses, and shoplift as well and why it was called Black Friday in Philadelphia. To counter the bad image this created, retailers used the name Big Friday to get shoppers to come in. While this was local to Philadelphia, the term Black Friday had spread and they were worried it would affect retailing nationwide. Using Big Friday was a bust so retailers got clever and adopted the term positively that it was a day for people to find exceptional sales. It worked and its darker origins from Philadelphia were forgotten.

Another darker origin story is that it comes from Southern plantations in the 1800’s. The story is that owners would buy slaves at a discount the day after Thanksgiving. And many in the African American community argued that Thanksgiving be boycotted. However historical research has not found any truth to this story, nor any records to indicate that it happened. There are those that argued at one time the term picnic was a racial slur (for hanging a black person) except that it comes from the French word pique-nique which is people gathering outdoors to eat.

The origins of Black Friday thus come from the world of finance, retail, and a day of bedlam in Philadelphia. Retailers turned a bad connotation into a day where shoppers will find great bargains at local stores (and now online as well). It is a day of bedlam when the stores do open and frantic shoppers race in. Sometimes it gets wild in the process but has become an important day of its own in the United States. And the concept has spread overseas as well through the Internet touting Black Friday sales. Border countries Canada and Mexico have their own versions as well to promote cross trading. It spread to Britain, parts of Europe, and Asia-Pacific as well. It is observed in both Australia and New Zealand as well as China. A few countries in South America have a version of it as well.

Sources

Sarah Pruitt, “What’s the Real History of Black Friday?,” HISTORY, last modified November 24, 2025, accessed November 25, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/black-friday-thanksgiving-origins-history.

Shannon Flynn, “What Is Black Friday? Black Friday History and Statistics,” BlackFriday.Com, November 17, 2025, https://blackfriday.com/news/black-friday-history.

“Black Friday,” Grokipedia, https://grokipedia.com/page/Black_Friday.

History, Holidays

The Humble Turkey and Thanksgiving

Here are some fun and interesting facts about the turkey and Thanksgiving.

Turkey is native to North America and has two breeds:

Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
This is found in eastern and central North America and Mexico.

Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata)
Found in the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America.

A wild turkey, photographed in Berkeley, California, 29 April 2010.
Image credit: Feezo
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Turkeys were domesticated by native peoples. The Spanish brought back turkeys to Spain and from there they gradually made their way into the cuisine of Europe. English explorers and settlers would bring back turkey to England where they were apparently domesticated since records indicate they were being eaten by the British in the 16th century.

Ocellated Turkey, Belize 2010.
Image credit: TonyCastro
Image via Wikimedia Commons

Due to its abundance in North America, Mexico, and Central America, the turkey was not seen as something special due to its availability. This is probably the reason why it was not mentioned as a meat served at the first Thanksgiving though it was likely served.

Beef and pork were seen as holiday meats and were generally only eaten on important days like Christmas, Easter, or other special events. The Irish, for example, preferred pork for St. Patrick’s Day since it was easier than cattle since they take up lots of space while pigs could be kept in a pen. This only changed when Irish came to America and found beef in easy abundance and luckily for them delicatessens had corned beef.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, turkey starts showing up more as a meat to be used when you did not want to slaughter a pig or a cow. Turkey also started becoming popular for feasts as well, though not at center stage just yet. In A Christmas Carol the kids were waiting excitedly for the goose to come back from the baker showing its importance for Christmas feasting. Turkey starts showing up more in books and illustrations as a Christmas food. In 18th and 19th century America lobster was seen as a poor man’s food since people of wealth could afford beef, pork, goose, or turkey.

During the latter part of the Victorian Era (1837-1901), turkey would replace beef and pork for Christmas. As upper-class people and Queen Victoria embraced it, others followed suit, and it would replace the goose for Christmas. In the United States, turkey became associated with Thanksgiving due to both images and stories of it being eaten at the first Thanksgiving. As stated earlier, there is no mention of turkeys at that meal, but it is more than likely they were served. As the image of turkeys being part of that Thanksgiving seeped into the American consciousness, it eventually found its way to become part of the celebration itself. Turkey quickly displaced beef and pork (to the displeasure of their producers) as the central part of the feast. Today it is mostly unthinkable to not think of turkey as part of the Thanksgiving feast (with apologies to my vegetarian friends).

Today millions of turkeys are sold at Thanksgiving either frozen, fresh, or sometimes smoked. While the U.S. is a major consumer of the bird, more turkey is eaten in Israel than anywhere else. They really like turkey for their big feasts but of course it is served with Kosher accompaniments so you will not be having mashed potatoes made of milk and butter (since Kosher forbids the mixing of meat and dairy).

Despite their numbers being severely dropped for a while due to hunting and other things, the wild turkey is making a comeback, and large flocks have been seen in the wild and sometimes in suburbs as well. Wild turkeys can fly short distances, but their domesticated cousins are flightless. The possible exception might be heritage turkeys raised outdoors and free to roam and eat.

Wild turkeys can be a bit of a nuisance though. They can get nasty, sometimes bite, and they leave some of their presence behind to be cleaned up. Sometimes it requires effort to chase them away though if a coyote or mountain lion should appear (and attack the flock) that generally gives them the hint to move on.

Thanksgiving Grace (1942)
Photo: Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id#fsa.8d10749)

Roasting turkey in an oven is traditional but, in many areas, not always possible. In the early days, many homes did not have ovens as we know them. They might have open hearths or perhaps an area where they could heat up and put a turkey in. This led to bakers, who had ovens, often for a fee leasing out their ovens to cook a bird. Others would cook them in fat in large open containers in pits dug for this purpose or found ways to roast over an open fire by turning them often (a sometimes risky and tiring task since you had to stand close and manually turn it like today’s rotisserie sans electricity).

Fried Turkey
Image: Cygnus921
Filckr

Deep frying turkey may have started in the American South but went back further possibly to England, France and perhaps even to the Romans. Deep frying does cook faster and keeps it moist, but the key is the amount of oil used and how stable the platform to cook is. Some used deep pits, so this prevented fires or leakage. Above the ground requires the cooking platform to be kept clear of anything that might burn if there is a leak resulting in a fire.

The most common reason for mishaps with deep frying turkey is people do not pay attention to the amount of oil used to the weight of the bird. One hilarious video on YouTube had this guy lowering the turkey into the pot outdoors while saying he had followed the Archimedes rule of displacement. He miscalculated, hot oil spilled out of the pot and ignited with the open flame below, and then fully ignited. The other common reason is that people put a frozen bird into hot oil thinking there will be no problem. I am not sure if they didn’t pay attention in chemistry class or never heard why you do not put water into a hot pan with oil in it. The result in an explosion that can, if too close to the home (or foolishly enough inside it) means your home or apartment is going to be severely damaged. Or worse.

During World War II, the military tried to make sure troops everywhere had Thanksgiving even front-line troops. Those who served on military bases, ships, or in London probably had the best. For submarines the cook(s) had to contend with the unexpected action of the sub diving as they were cooking made Thanksgiving meal an adventure both in cooking and serving. And for those on the field with Germans in sight, getting those meals meant coming under direct enemy fire causing some commanders to question the wisdom of delivering meals while in an active fire zone.

And of course, Thanksgiving can be a source of humor as well. Just look at some vintage clips from shows past and present about it. The most classic one of course is the famous and never duplicated one from WKRP. As a promotion they decided to drop turkeys into a parking lot in front of a mall. And, well, you must watch to find out.

Sources

“Turkey,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last modified September 26, 2025, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/animal/turkey-bird.

Boeckmann, Catherine “The Wild Turkey: History of an All-American Bird,” Almanac.Com, last modified November 20, 2024, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/wild-turkey-history-all-american-bird.

Pruitt, Sarah “Why We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving,” HISTORY, last modified November 17, 2025, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/turkey-thanksgiving-meal.

English Heritage, “What’s on the Table? Christmas Turkey in Victorian England | English Heritage,” English Heritage, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/blog/blog-posts/victorian-christmas-turkey/.

“A Brief History of Turkeys, Plus Why We Eat a Turkey Dinner at Christmas,” HistoryExtra, last modified November 5, 2023, accessed November 23, 2025, https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/the-history-of-turkeys/.

History, Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving (4th Thursday November U.S.)

Home To Thanksgiving, Currier & Ives, 1867
Public Domain (U.S. Library of Congress, digital id# pga 00780)

Thanksgiving was not an official national holiday until 1863. A letter from a 74-year-old magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, inspired President Abraham Lincoln to create a national holiday. She wrote in 1863 that we needed to have a national day of Thanksgiving so that everyone could celebrate it on the same day. At the time Thanksgiving was celebrated by the various states but not on the same date. She wanted President Lincoln to make it a national day so it would become a permanent part of “American custom and institution.”

Thanksgiving Grace (1942)
Photo: Public Domain (US Library of Congress, digital id#fsa.8d10749)

Other presidents had ignored such requests. Lincoln decided to act on her request and directed a proclamation be drawn up. On 3 October 1863, President Lincoln’s proclamation that establishes Thanksgiving as a national day was issued. It sets aside the last Thursday of November as a “day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” Secretary of State William Seward actually drafted the proclamation which Lincoln signed. Thanksgiving became a national holiday and was celebrated on that date until 1939. President Roosevelt in 1939, 1940 and 1941 changed it to the third Thursday (to extend the Christmas season) causing considerable controversy. A joint resolution of Congress in 1941 resolved it by decreeing Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of November.

(Scene from the 1942 movie Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. At the time the movie was made in 1941, Thanksgiving had shifted back and forth starting in 1939. This animation from the movie illustrates this perfectly.)

Lincoln’s proclamation was written during the American Civil War, a terrible time in U.S. history. Today we forget why this day was made a national holiday. It was to thank God for the blessings of liberty but also to ask his help. In our politically correct times, this proclamation is not always read in full or edited. So here is the original proclamation. Read it and understand why Lincoln thought a National Day of Thanksgiving was needed for the United States of America.

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Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day
October 3, 1863

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

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Sources

“Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Thanksgiving,” American Battlefield Trust, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/primary-sources/abraham-lincolns-proclamation-thanksgiving.

“Thanksgiving 2025 – Tradition, Origins & Meaning | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified November 21, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-thanksgiving.

Current, Richard N. “Abraham Lincoln.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified November 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abraham-Lincoln.

Silverman, David J. “Thanksgiving Day.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Last modified November 12, 2025. Accessed November 23, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day.