# Who doesn't do turkey for Thanksgiving? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132 "2011-11-16T16:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/21 "2011-11-16T22:16:19Z")
Last two times I hosted Thanksgiving, one year was all vegetarian and the other was roast ham - which I prefer to turkey anyhow. Not a huge fan of commercially raised turkeys because I have been in turkey “processing plants” which pretty much turned me off. I have bought “heirloom” pasture-raised turkeys for Thanksgiving, which were IMO infinitely superior in taste and texture. But for several years I’ve gone to a friend’s house, and she puts on a stellar and very traditional Thanksgiving dinner for a bunch of people and it’s always delicious. I can take or leave the turkey, but she does a roasted root vegetable thing that is just wonderful and that’s going to be my favourite part, again. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/22 "2011-11-17T01:01:34Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Side question: for those of us who do have turkey pretty much every year for Thanksgiving, how many also have it for Christmas? We have turkey and ham at both meals with both sides of the family. ---
**Author:** ![Feyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/fbc32d/32.png) [@Feyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/23 "2011-11-17T01:11:06Z")
My husband, myself and my sister-in-law are all vegetarian, and since our Thanksgiving just consist of my parents, my brother and his wife, and my husband and I, we substitute Quorn. The first year, there was a turkey too, but everyone liked the Quorn enough that it’s the entire main course for the last two years. There’s always a meat side dish as well, but rarely a whole turkey for three people. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/24 "2011-11-17T01:38:10Z")
> [@Time\_Stranger](#): > > The side of the family that I’m visiting this year (tucked away in extremely rural South Carolina) always has venison wrapped in bacon instead of turkey. They like to hunt and are… very country. I’m a vegetarian, so I don’t partake, but I think it’s hilarious. That’s funny - I’m going to extremely rural South Carolina for the boyfriend’s Thanksgiving this year, but evidently they have very dry boring turkey. I am bringing cranberry sauce. (I wish they had bacon wrapped venison!) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/25 "2011-11-17T01:42:07Z")
My dad hated turkey so we usually had ham instead. Dad said he didn’t like turkey because he was born on Thanksgiving, Mom said Dad wouldn’t eat turkey because it would be cannibalism… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/26 "2011-11-17T01:45:27Z")
Sometimes we substitute a turkey or chicken vegetarian alternative, sometimes we just make extra side dishes. ---
**Author:** ![Nightfall1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@Nightfall1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightfall1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/27 "2011-11-17T01:48:50Z")
We’re having homemade pizza this year. My sister and brother and brother-in-law. One time we cooked burgers on the grill. My wife didn’t feel like turkey this year. lol. We always have a fun time no matter what we eat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/28 "2011-11-17T04:34:24Z")
My son-in-law and his family are vegetarian. My daughter became vegetarian, and I somehow joined the group. I make almost everything with a vegetarian alternative. The son-in-law’s family has become very fond of Wham for any holiday meal, and my daughter makes a killer pineapple glaze for it. I’ll be buying one of those prepared turkey dinners from a local grocery store for the carnivorous contingent. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Untoward\_Parable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Untoward\_Parable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Untoward_Parable)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/29 "2011-11-17T10:42:00Z")
well i hate roast turkey and we have a big family thing so usually can’t avoid it. Though I do love me some turkey jerky lol. Family has cooked teh thing a million different ways, always the same result, dry and/or flavorless. Though it makes ok taco meat or nacho meat as leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/30 "2011-11-17T12:05:16Z")
Thanksgiving’s always at Disney World, this year at 'Ohana at the Polynesian. Disney _usually_ puts turkey on its holiday menus, so it’ll probably be there. I likely won’t eat any, though. I occasionally do turkey at Christmas, the rare years that we eat at home instead of going out, but Thanksgiving is a Disney holiday for us. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/31 "2011-11-17T12:33:41Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I made the mistake of telling my husband about Calvin Trillin’s campaign to make spaghetti carbonara the official Thanksgiving dinner, and he’s been wistfully suggesting it ever since. I did make it once. > > Once. My husband vastly prefers my lasagna to turkey. If he had to make a choice between lasagna and prime rib, he’d be in agony. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/32 "2011-11-17T14:00:00Z")
Vegetarian here. My traditional Thanksgiving: cheese ball and crackers for snacking while watching parades/sports/Thanksgiving cartoons, then a main meal of vegetarian stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, steamed vegetables, homemade cranberry dressing, and a dessert of apple pie with cheese. Really, it’s pretty much my childhood Thanksgiving sans turkey… and I love stuffing so much that I can make it the centerpiece of my meal. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/33 "2011-11-17T15:08:52Z")
Once spent Thanksgiving with a friend who had chili for dinner. Amazingly, we are still friends. My ex-husband’s Italian family used to have homemade ravioli for holidays until they got Americanized. I feel Thanksgiving exists as an excuse to eat yummy roasted turkey. Turkey is what God eats for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/34 "2011-11-17T15:17:50Z")
My Dad won’t eat anything that ever wore feathers. We usually had a ham and a small turkey for the rest of us. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/35 "2011-11-17T15:29:08Z")
No turkey, but I’m sticking with airfood. I’m roasting a chicken instead. It’s the side dishes that count anyway. Maybe I’ll just make 10 pounds of stuffing and be one happy camper. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/36 "2011-11-17T16:21:04Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > My Dad won’t eat anything that ever wore feathers. We usually had a ham and a small turkey for the rest of us. Did he once have a bad experience with Zsa Zsa Gabor? ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/37 "2011-11-17T17:11:34Z")
With the recent fad of brining or otherwise doing shit guaranteed to result in super moist turkey I wish fewer people would do turkey. Moist turkey is great for sandwiches. It sucks for thanksgiving dinner when I’m eating it with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and all kinds of things that provide more moisture. Since the only meats I eat are birds and fish, I eat lots of turkey year round so it isn’t anything special. So if I am at all responsible for what gets made on Thanksgiving (which generally means it is just me and my wife) I don’t deal with the hassle, but I don’t have any go to thing. ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/38 "2011-11-17T19:28:21Z")
Dad was a gourmet cook so we often had a prime rib roast of crown roast or something showy like that when it was just the immediate family. When we got together with his family there was at least one and some years two turkeys. I think 34 was the most we ever sat for one of those meals. We always buy up cheap turkeys around Thanksgiving and then roast one now and then throughout the winter. This year we are having baked spiral sliced ham for the day itself, mostly because we are having company the day after and wanted the leftovers for sandwiches. Forgot to add - My wife has an uncle who hates turkey and so the few times we ate with them on the day there had to be two entrees so he didn’t have to eat the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/39 "2011-11-17T21:03:12Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Side question: for those of us who do have turkey pretty much every year for Thanksgiving, how many also have it for Christmas? (I don’t - it’s usually Turkey Thanksgiving and Prime Rib Christmas.) We do turkey for Thanksgiving but at Christmas we do the Polish Christmas Eve dinner, which is traditionally meatless (homemade pierogi, w00t!). Then on Christmas day we have ham and fresh and smoked kielbasa for the meats. I’m not a big turkey fan so once a year is plenty. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132/40 "2011-11-17T21:22:56Z")
For us, Christmas was not a big “family dinner” event. We visited various houses for various family members but the meals were not generally big affairs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-doesnt-do-turkey-for-thanksgiving/603132.md?page=3)