I don't eat turkey.
But that's not even what this is about.
I just don't get it.
Thanksgiving's biggest symbol is the turkey.
Not this one (although it does seem important to people):
(picture from Butterball.com)
But this one:
Can you please tell me how that cute little guy with the Pilgrim hat, the one that the kids color, make out of their handprints, act like (gobble gobble), read about and sing about....
...ends up on the dinner plate?
I'm quite sure that no one eats the other symbols of holidays. We don't eat the lulav and etrog. And I know that no one eats bunny on Easter (even though that one's not my holiday, I'm pretty sure about that.) We don't eat Uncle Sam on the 4th of July. We don't even really eat pumpkins so much on Halloween, we're much more about the candy.
So doesn't it seem a bit odd that we EAT the primary cute holiday symbol?
I'm just saying.
What's your Tuesday Torah?
6 comments:
I love turkey, but I must admit you have a point.
I came across this which was interesting: http://festivals.iloveindia.com/thanks-giving/dinner/food-in-history.html
It talks about the foods they most likely ate at the first Thanksgiving. Lobster? Well, I guess it obviously wasn't a seder. :-)
"We don't eat Uncle Sam on the 4th of July."
That cracks me up. :-)
Good point. And I'm not even a vegetarian. I think I'll write an "I'm thankful" post on Thursday, and I'll be thankful I don't HAVE to make and eat a turkey. Though I might on Friday.
Some people do eat their etrog, but not until after the holiday is over. And we do eat matzah.
I like the idea of a pilgrim girl as a symbol for Thanksgiving. My daughter was dressing up as one (her idea), and we used white napkins for the collar and apron.
Oops, now I'm following Ilana-Davita...I'm tagging you, too. Good news is you only have to respond to one of the taggings.
When did you become a vegetarian?
You've gotta point.
That's all I have.
Harrison's school did the Turkey Tango for their preschool Thanksgiving program last week. So cute. Then the Rabbi had them do it again on Shabbat last Friday morning. My son now knows the Tango! (and no Turkeys were hurt in the process!)
As a veggie myself I hear your point, however, easter bunny aside, we could look at transubstantiation for another example of holiday "cheer".
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