Turkey Or Ham?

Yes, we should be thankful we have something to eat and friends to share it with period. We should be thankful all the time, not just on Thanksgiving. It's traditional to eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day since it was the main dish of the first Thanksgiving when the pilgrims came. I can't imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc., myself. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, too!

This all sounds so good! I think it might be a good idea to have turkey and ham for both occasions in case some people prefer one over the other. I believe I would really miss turkey if we didn't have it for Thanksgiving, though, because that's always been the main dish. Thank you for responding and I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, too!

Hi AmbiePam! I forgot when I started this discussion that some people have chicken for Thanksgiving. What made me think of this is that a lady I used to go to church with brought me a meal later this afternoon and it consisted of chicken, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, a roll, and some cake. This is what I had for my supper. I spent Thanksgiving Day with my sister, her husband, and my neice and what we had there wasn't too good, I hate to say. They got their turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc. from a restaurant here in town and I think they're sorry they did now. I had a good day considering, though.

I think it's a good idea to interchange every once in a while. I can't imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, though. That was the main dish for the first Thanksgiving, if you remember from your history. We haven't always had both at each holiday but I have been to both thanksgiving and Christmas parties where they had both. Thank you for responding and I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!

So, I guess you would prefer ham to turkey anytime, wouldn't you? If you remember your history, turkey was the main dish for the first Thanksgiving. That might be why it's such a must your family. I can't imagine Thanksgiving without turkey, myself. Thank you for responding and I hope youall have a Happy Thanksgiving!

It seems like I remember having ham for Easter when I was a child. We used to go to my grandparents' house and have an Easter Dinner after church. Afterwards, my cousins and I would have an egg hunt down there. That was always a lot of fun! We had a pretty big family! Thank you for responding.

we did get a good dinner the next day daughter cooked up all the rest of the meal.

It's good that you have an oven that will do this. I bet the smoker does make the turkey good! I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving despite all of your problems.

Ham doesn't have to be fattening, if you just eat the meat and not the fat it isn't - all meat is about the same so you just watch the portions.

I didn't know it was possible to eat ham without the fat. I went to Weight Watchers years ago and I don't think it was allowed on that diet. It might be now, for all I know, because it was 1983 when I went the last time. The Weight Watchers diet has changed so much over the years. I have also been on a high fiber diet and ham wasn't allowed on that diet, either. You learn something all the time, though.

It doesn't matter to me. I like both but I think turkey is more appropriate for Thanksgiving since that was the main dish of the pilgrims and Indians when the pilgrims came over on the Mayflower. I hardly ever eat ham because I'm usually trying to watch my weight. I don't worry about my weight during the holidays since everything's going to be fattening, anyway, lol. It's a treat to have ham on these occasions.

Good morning, Shellyann....and dear Kath! Good thing for all of us, that the Pilgrims brought Turkeys, instead of Donkey's...'cuz you know then what we would be eating at Thanksgiving. English is...was and hopefully will always be our primary language...remember we are British descendants, and still a member of the Monarchy! The main reflection of our heritage is British..and ofcourse, in the East, we have Quebec, the one province with French heritage. Like the US, we have indigenous people's and immigrants of all nationalities. If you went to sleep in the US and woke up in Canada, I think the only way you could tell the difference is the higher prices...LOL! For Shellyann's info, and possibly you don't remember, Kath...I live on a small Island off the West Coast of British Columbia...and realistically just below the 49th parallel...our weather is normally VERY mild, and below zero temps are NOT normal, other than two or three times during the month of January! But thankfully we do experience the beautiful four seasons. This is the second time in 35 years (that I can remember) that we have had snow before January...and we usually only get 2-3 snowfalls, that last 2-3 days! SO, like the rest of the world we are experiencing EXTREME weather...and sent a lot of us into weather shock....and caught lots of people unawares.We are not the frozen North...no Igloos or dog sleds where I live. Our summers normally hoover between 75 to 95 F. HAPPY "US" THANKSGIVING, to you both! Cheers!

pergammano that does make lots of sense. Thank you for sharing that. Now I can say I know more about Canada's holiday traditions! Yikes on the weather! Minus 17 already... BRRRRR cold, that is why I love to live in the South! The high was a nice 63 here today. Cheers!

Thank you for responding, pergammano. This is interesting info! I never have thought of Canada as like a foreign country because I know a lot of you speak English up there. I probably told you this before but I visited up there in 1989. I was with a tour group and we toured places like Winnipeg, Manitoba, Banff, Alberta, etc. We had a great time and it's beautiful country up there! That's very cold!!! I figured it got cold like this all the time in the winter up there. You learn something new all the time, though. Try to stay warm, lol! That does seem unusually cold for this time of year! Shellyann, where do you live in the south? I live in Alabama.

Hi, zhpshql. It depends on the turkey and how it is prepared, but it can be very delicious. I like the shaved turkey from a deli, which comes with different flavors and there is no fighting with bones. Sometimes when people bake the whole turkey in the oven then parts of it can come out dry, but that is the fault of the cook, not of the turkey.

Hi Frank! Thank you for responding. Drannhh is right. It depends on the turkey and how it is prepared. I think it's good when it's moist. You should try some turkey sometime. You might like it. I forgot when I started this discussion that some people have chicken for Thanksgiving. That's what I had for my supper tonight, along with dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, a roll, and some cake. A lady I used to go to church with brought it to me earlier this afternoon. I celebrated Thanksgiving with my sister, her husband, and my neice and what we had for lunch today wasn't too good, I hate to say. They got it from a restaurant here in town.

I like both, too. I had a pretty good Thanksgiving considering what we had to eat today wasn't too good, I hate to say. Also, my bil was in his usual sour mood. I've learned to overlook him, though. They got their turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc. from a restaurant here in town and I think they're sorry they did now. A lady I used to go to church with brought me some food later this afternoon and it was much better than what we had for lunch. I had it for my supper and it consisted of chicken, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, a roll, and some cake. I forgot when I started this discussion that some people have chicken for Thanksgiving.

I like your username! That's cute! We have turkey for both Christmas and Thanksgiving in this country. I have been to a few Thanksgiving and Christmas Dinners where both ham and turkey was served. Thank you for responding.

I know what you mean! I grew up in a big family but we didn't always have both a turkey and a ham for Thanksgiving and Christmas. There never was much left over, though, lol! Actually, I had one older brother and two older sisters but when you think about all the cousins, aunts, and uncles I had, it was a pretty big family! Thank you for responding.