An estimated 46 million turkeys are sacrifice their lives to Americans each year - and that's just for Thanksgiving. Add in Christmas, Easter, other lunches and dinners, and the figure rises to around 270 million turkeys annually in the United States.
But turkey wasn't always the GOAT of Christmas in America and Britain.
"The turkey was introduced to the U.K. from the Americas in the 1500s and gradually became a festive favourite in households over the following centuries," reveals the Food Unfolded blog. "At first, turkey was expensive, like all rare foods. Many families chose more affordable options such as goose and chicken. But as turkeys became cheaper, it soon became the most popular Christmas dish in the U.K."
And turkey still isn't the GOAT in many parts of the world...
In many parts of Europe, fish takes centre-stage on Christmas eve. It's a tradition that dates back ages.
During the Middle Ages, Catholics fasted ahead of Christmas and were not allowed to eat meat. They were, however, allowed fish. "Families would prepare roast carp, sometimes keeping the fish alive in a bathtub for a few days before cooking it," reports Food Unfolded. "This tradition still survives in some areas today."
Apparently, carp was thought to bring good luck, and some people even kept the fish scales in their wallets until the following Christmas Eve. According to the food site, families now celebrate with rich feasts featuring poultry and pork on Christmas Day, but fish on Christmas Eve is a tradition that's going nowhere anytime soon.
Regardless of what they're eating, many families around the world prepare big feasts on Christmas Day, and it's not just because they're celebrating. The tradition of feasting has its roots set in historic times.
As we mentioned earlier, it was common for Christians to fast or avoid certain foods such as meat or eggs for up to 40 days before Christmas. This was for spiritual reasons and served as a way to practice self-control and make the celebration more meaningful.
"Traditionally, Christmas Eve was the ‘vigil of Christmas’, which meant the last day of fasting," notes the site. And the following day marked the birth of Jesus and the big festive feast. "In some ways, the big Christmas dinner feast after a long period of fasting or eating more modestly made sense," it adds.
The first recorded Christmas celebration was December 25th in 336 CE, a date chosen by early Christian leaders to celebrate the occasion.
