# I resent "Turkey Day" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567 "2007-11-24T01:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/1 "2007-11-24T01:53:00Z")
Not the holiday itself, but the name Turkey Day. As a policy, anybody who wishes me a Happy Turkey Day gets a “so you aren’t thankful for anything but turkey?” in return. One person this year called me a jerk in return, and the other said “of course not! I’m thankful for you, and the rest of our family, and that we’re all healthy and can be here…” and both of them got a piece of my mind about my feeling. Okay, first of all, changing the name from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day probably takes more effort and thought than just saying “Happy Thanksgiving”, so its not like it’s an accidental greeting. Secondly, even though I’m not big on holidays OR tradition, I feel like changing the name from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day is either trying to sound funny (no, it isn’t, and you aren’t the first one to come up with that), or trying to desensitize the holiday as nothing more than a day to eat a big meal, both of which annoy me. I’m not trying to make this a pit thread, but the opinion I’m asking is if a. you use the term Turkey Day and why, and b. how you feel when other people use the term. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/2 "2007-11-24T02:01:46Z")
I don’t think I usually say Turkey Day (I did have a teacher in high school who called it “Yardbird Day”), but I will in jest call it “National Poultry Industry Appreciation Day”. Mostly it’s just me being a bit of a smartass. And how do I feel? I dunno, it probably depends on how you feel about Turkey. I tend to associate Turkey dinners with good, tasty warm meals, usually with loved ones. Others might see a big fat bird that supposedly drowns in the rain and lives outside. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/3 "2007-11-24T02:05:33Z")
I don’t use the term. I don’t care when others use it. You really need to lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/4 "2007-11-24T02:22:15Z")
I thought it was just used as slang, rather than “PC”. Not officially. Geez. ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/5 "2007-11-24T02:27:52Z")
Bet it really pisses you off when they wish you a hippo bird day. ---
**Author:** ![XaMcQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/f9ae1b/32.png) [@XaMcQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XaMcQ)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/6 "2007-11-24T02:38:46Z")
If someone wished you a happy Turkey Day, sincerely meaning that they hoped you had a good holiday and trying to be funny, and you were snide and snarky, yes, you were a jerk. As an atheist, I don’t particularly care to be wished Merry Christmas, Happy Easter or to be blessed or prayed for, but I take it in the spirit that it’s intended. When people wish you well, you thank them and reply in kind, instead of preaching or correcting their semantics. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/7 "2007-11-24T02:40:46Z")
Geez, **fusoya** , unclench, will ya? Of all the things to get overwrought about, this one is near the top of the Silly List. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/8 "2007-11-24T03:28:24Z")
Guess what I’m serving for dinner on Veteran’s Day? ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/9 "2007-11-24T03:32:19Z")
[QUOTE=bbs2k] Guess what I’m serving for dinner on Veteran’s Day? [/QUOTE] Make sure it’s a Marine they’re not as tough as Paratroopers. ---
**Author:** ![ErinPuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dbc845/32.png) [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/10 "2007-11-24T03:33:49Z")
I don’t use it, and it bothers me when other people do, just because I think it sounds stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/278dde/32.png) [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runs_With_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/11 "2007-11-24T04:30:44Z")
You beat me to it. I cringe every time I hear someone refer to Thanksgiving as Turkey Day. There seems to be an inclination for Americans to try and shorten and make cute the names of EVERYthing. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/12 "2007-11-24T06:22:08Z")
I hope you had a shitty turkey day. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/13 "2007-11-24T07:31:42Z")
You wouldn’t be saying that if you were from Worthington, Minnesota. There, [Turkey Day](http://www.worthingtonmnchamber.com/kingturkey.htm) and Thanksgiving are 2 different things. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/14 "2007-11-24T07:44:46Z")
[QUOTE=Runs With Scissors] You beat me to it. I cringe every time I hear someone refer to Thanksgiving as Turkey Day. There seems to be an inclination for Americans to try and shorten and make cute the names of EVERYthing. [/QUOTE] Aww, you know it’s one of our more endearing qualities, **Runsy!** 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/15 "2007-11-24T08:08:47Z")
But calling it TURKEY day reminds me that it’s a holiday about killing, gutting and then stuffing with savory goodness an animal of the poultrey variety. Thanksgiving? Pssh. A holiday for pussys! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/16 "2007-11-24T08:26:13Z")
[QUOTE=zagloba] Bet it really pisses you off when they wish you a hippo bird day. [/QUOTE] Wow! I thought I was the only one who celebrated [National Phelddagrif Appreciation Day!](http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=3227) ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/17 "2007-11-24T09:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=XaMcQ] When people wish you well, you thank them and reply in kind, instead of preaching or correcting their semantics. [/QUOTE] Or in the OP’s case, not saying anything at all would have been a better solution. It’s what I do whenever someone “blesses” me after sneezing, a custon I frown upon. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/18 "2007-11-24T09:27:07Z")
Good thing I never wished you a “Happy Saint Tryptophan Day” then. I do say Happy Turkey Day to people who is not born American. For us it is mostly a Day Off with a built in excuse to pig out. We didn’t grow up with it and it is not part of our culture. This is not to mean that we have nothing to be thankful for, just that it is not part of our culture. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/19 "2007-11-24T13:26:40Z")
[QUOTE=Raguleader] I don’t think I usually say Turkey Day (I did have a teacher in high school who called it “Yardbird Day”) [/QUOTE] See, that’s when you start calling it “Zeppelin Day” when talking about it. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2007, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567/20 "2007-11-24T13:46:37Z")
I didn’t use the phrase “Turkey Day” when talking to people, but I did when e-mailing and text-messaging. It’s faster to type. So only those friends who are far away had to witness my shameful belittling of the holiday. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-resent-turkey-day/427567.md?page=2)