1.IntroductionWhenitcomestoThanksgiving,onecannotignoretheiconicdish-turkey.AmericanshavebeentraditionallyservingroastedturkeyasthemaincourseonThanksgivingdinnertablesforcenturies.Butwhydopeopleeattu... 1.IntroductionWhenitcomestoThanksgiving,onecannotignoretheiconicdish-turkey.AmericanshavebeentraditionallyservingroastedturkeyasthemaincourseonThanksgivingdinnertablesforcenturies.ButwhydopeopleeatturkeyonThanksgiving?Inthisarticle,wewillexplorethehistoricalandculturalsignificanceofthistradition.2.TheOriginofTurkeyonThanksgivingAccordingtohistorians,thetraditionofservingturkeyonThanksgivingcanbetracedbacktotheearly17thcentury.WhenthepilgrimsarrivedinAmerica,theywereunfamiliarwiththelocalfloraandfauna,andreliedheavilyontheNativeAmericansforsurvival.TheNativeAmericansintroducedthemtovariouscrops,andalsotaughtthemhowtohuntandfish.Itisbelievedthatin1621,whenthepilgrimsheldthefirstThanksgivingfeasttoexpresstheirgratitudeforabountifulharvest,theyservedroastedwildturkeyasthemaincourse.Turkeywasreadilyavailableandeasilyhunted,makingitapracticalchoiceforthefeast.3.TheSymbolismofTurkeyonThanksgivingOvertime,servingturkeyonThanksgivingbecameatraditionthatisdeeplyrootedinAmericanculture.Theturkeyisnotonlyapracticalchoice,butitalsohassymbolicsignificance.Inthe19thcentury,writerSarahJosephaHalecampaignedtomakeThanksgivinganationalholiday,andsawtheturkeyasasymbolofAmerica'snationalidentity.TheturkeywasseenasabirdthatwasnativetoAmerica,andtherefore,fittingtobeservedonaholidaythatcelebratedAmericanness.Moreover,turkeyisoftenseenasasymbolofabundanceandprosperity.DuringtheGreatDepressioninthe1930s,PresidentFranklinD.RooseveltestablishedtheNationalThanksgivingTurkeyPresentation,whichaimedtoencourageoptimismandgratitudeduringbleaktimes.Inthisceremony,aturkeyis"pardoned"andallowedtoliveinsteadofbeingslaughtered.Theturkeyisseenasasymbolofhopeandrenewal,anditspardonrepresentsachanceforabetterfuture.4.TheEvolutionofTurkeyonThanksgivingThetraditionofservingturkeyonThanksgivingremainsstrongtothisday.However,thewayitisservedhasevolvedwithtime.Nowadays,manyhouseholdsoptforalternativepreparationssuchasdeep-fryingorsmokingtheturkey,whichresultsinadifferentflavorandtexture.Additionally,somefamilieshavestartedtoincorporateotherdishesfromtheirculturalbackgroundsintotheirThanksgivingdinners,whilestillkeepingtheturkeyasthecenterpiece.Inconclusion,turkeyhasbecomeanintegralpartoftheAmericanThanksgivingtradition,asapracticalandsymbolicchoice.Itshistoricalandculturalsignificancehasmadeitastapleondinnertablesacrossthecountry,anditsevolutionreflectsthechangesanddiversityofAmericansociety.核心关键词：Thanksgiving,turkey,tradition,symbolism,evolution.