Thanksgiving, Guy Fawkes Night and the dark side of tradition in the 21st century
Here in the UK we’ve all heard of the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner; an amped-up Christmas meal, with more pies, and in some cases delicious multicultural twists reflecting America’s diverse population. Those of us who consume a higher-than-average amount of US media might have knowledge of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. But even the most switched on Britons are likely to have missed out on one of the White House’s most unique traditions; “turkey pardons”.
Last night, I came across the concept of a “turkey pardon” — before promptly being told that it is “THE turkey pardon”, by my American friend Chris. A seventy-year-old tradition, its purpose remains unknown to Chris (“Maybe it justifies eating all the others?”), but in essence it involves a ceremony in which the President of the United States gives a presentation and presents one Thanksgiving turkey with an official pardon —and the right not to be eaten. This year’s lucky avians, the somewhat whimsically named Drumstick and Wishbone, underwent a gruelling selection process that included being trained to strut and gobble on demand. Whilst Drumstick was the only turkey to be officially pardoned, the White House has clarified that Wishbone will be joining him to live out the rest of their lives at Virginia Tech. The turkey pardon has been described as a “time-honored White House tradition”, but why does it happen in the first place? And how on earth did it start?
Supposedly, Americans have been sending presidents turkeys since the 19th century, but the concept of a National Thanksgiving Turkey only dates from 1947, when President Harry Truman was presented with a 47-pound turkey by the National Turkey Federation. Truman’s turkey was destined for the dinner table, but if we fast-forward forty or so years, President George H.W. Bush presented the first official pardon, starting the bizarre tradition Americans have today.
I’m being unfair to Americans now though; the turkey pardon is a tad unusual, sure, but here in the UK we definitely have our fair share of weird traditions. Take Guy Fawkes Night celebrations for instance — when you think about it, perhaps burning effigies of a man who died four hundred years ago (plus the odd unpopular politician) is a little odd.
So why do we remember these historical events with such unusual rituals? At the end of the day, both Guy Fawkes Night and Thanksgiving are patriotic and hiding slightly sinister undertones. Indeed, whilst Thanksgiving is celebrated widely across the United States, some native American groups are decidedly less grateful, as it is seen as a glorification of a time when their land was plundered and their ancestors wiped out by plagues brought by the pilgrims. And Guy Fawkes Night, arguably the UK’s most nationalist holiday, harbours aggressive pro-monarchy, anti Catholicism messages.
Perhaps originally it was just coincidence, but today these traditions may hold another purpose. By practicing obscure traditions such as burning the “Guy” and pardoning Thanksgiving turkeys, we mask the disconcerting aspects of patriotism and make it easier to stomach in today’s multicultural society. We are distracted from the underlying meaning behind the holidays that to us are merely fun and games. It is often said that history is written by the victors — and unfortunately, this time I don’t mean Wishbone and Drumstick. The rhyme associated with Guy Fawkes Night in the United Kingdom is as follows:
Remember, remember!
The fifth of November,
The Gunpowder treason and plot;
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!
Conveniently without mention of Catholicism and prejudice, similar to how many tales of the first Thanksgiving remove mention of the horrors native Americans were subjected to both before and after the feast, the well-known rhyme manages to get across my point in this piece, whilst simultaneously missing it completely. Yes, we must remember. But the partial picture we’ve been fed is not enough. It’s time for us to learn the true meaning behind these ‘harmless’ holidays; only then will we be able to celebrate them with respect.
This article is a #sponsored post inspired by the New York Times coverage of this year’s turkey pardon, and more specifically, the article ‘Hi, Drumstick.’ President Trump Pardons a Turkey, and Likes It.
If you are a student, you can take advantage of the New York Times’ student subscription deal, including a four-week free trial here.
