Thanksgiving was first celebrated in 1621 by the Pilgrims, but it started being widely celebrated in 1863 when President Lincoln declared it a national holiday. Most Thanksgiving feasts are made up of a main protein, a type of gravy, vegetables, lots of sides, and a pie for dessert. However, the specific foods that people eat on Thanksgiving depend on what is available and least expensive in the time period, and family traditions.
Late 1800s
The late 1800s had lots of events going on that made their traditional Thanksgiving foods unique. For starters, there was mass immigration to the United States, which brought lots of cultures, and a great oyster craze, which led to oysters and other shellfish products being very cheap and, in turn, very popular for Thanksgiving foods. The other popular foods in the late 1800s were chicken pie, plum pudding, and turnip sauce. Chicken pie, exactly what you think it is, is a pie with chicken and vegetables in the middle, and a savory filling. The introduction of Japanese plums also happened in the late 1800s, so lots of families incorporated those into their feasts.
The most common main dish from the early 1900s to now: Roasted turkey
Early 1900s
With lots of major things happening in the early 1900s, including World War 1, Thanksgiving wasn’t really a main concern. Therefore, most people just tried to throw together what they had for a quick meal. Potatoes and celery were common crops in this time period, so the main side dishes consisted of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and creamed celery.
1950s – 1960s
The mid-1900s had lots of new food innovations, causing the Thanksgiving foods to be very unique and unusual. Obviously, the main dish was turkey, but some people liked to use seafood as an alternative, and jello as a dessert. Seafood became so popular as a Thanksgiving dish since canned food had become so common, which made fresh food a delicacy. Another side dish that became popular during this time period is sweet potato casserole, a sweet potato dish topped with marshmallows.
Late 1900s
The traditional Thanksgiving dishes of the late 1900s were a mixture of traditional dishes from other holidays, with lots inspired by Christmas dishes. Mince pies, which were a main side dish in this period, are pastries with dried fruit filling. Every once in a while, they have meat filling, but fruit is more common now.
Early 2000s to Now
Today’s dishes, like green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and mashed potatoes, might seem normal, but they’re really just a mixture of traditional foods from all of the past years. The only new dish of the twenty-first century is mac and cheese, which is mostly popular only in the South.
