7 notable Thanksgiving traditions: Pardoning a turkey, church services and ‘Friendsgiving’
2. The food and décor
Thanksgiving often evokes images of meals that include turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie, with pumpkins and harvest items as decorations.
According to the National Park Service, much of what we associate with the food, décor, and even the tradition of watching professional sports can be traced back to the Victorian Era.
“The Thanksgiving dinner menu is similar to this time with turkey, cranberry, stuffing, pumpkin pie, potatoes and other seasonal favorites as some examples,” explained NPS.
“Even the traditions of Thanksgiving and football started to take shape in the 1890s, with sports rivalries on a professional level becoming more common during this time.”
Thanksgiving is hardly the only major holiday that the Victorians had a lasting impact on, as they also had a transformative influence on how people celebrate Christmas.
