Thanksgiving is traditionally a time when families come together to express our gratitude to each other over a large roast turkey. According to the Huffington Post, one-fifth of the 235 million turkeys consumed in the United States are eaten on Thanksgiving Day (1). There are several theories about how the turkey got its name. Some say Columbus thought the land he discovered was connected to India, known for its large flocks of peacocks. When he saw these strange and large birds he thought that they were related to the peacock family, so he called them Tuka, which means peacock in the Indian language (2). Others say the name comes from Native Americans who called them Firkee, which was later adapted to Türkiye (2). Another theory is that the birds did not come directly from the New World to England. Instead, they arrived via merchant ships from the eastern Mediterranean Sea which were called "Turkish merchants" because much of the area was part of the Turkish Empire at the time. Buyers of the birds in England thought the birds came from the area, so they called them "turkeys" and soon after simply "turkeys" (2). The wild turkey has between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers that cover almost the turkey's entire body. an adult turkey in patterns called feather strokes. These feathers provide a variety of survival functions for the wild turkey such as insulation, flight, and promotion of reproduction. The quantity of feathers and the different types of feathers allow it to stay dry and warm while also allowing it to fly. Unlike its domestic counterpart, which is too large and heavy to fly, wild turkeys can fly up to 55 mph according to NWTF.org (3). Not only can they fly, but they have… middle of paper… turkey became the main part of this holiday meal after the first Thanksgiving? It would have made no sense to feast on chickens or cows because they produce useful foods such as eggs and milk. Wild turkeys were larger than chickens and easier to hunt than geese, so it made more sense to eat them on Thanksgiving. The birds are large enough to feed many people, and unlike the pig, the turkey was not so common that it did not seem like a suitable choice for a special occasion (5). Works Cited1. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/thanksgiving-weight_n_4303302.html2. http://urbanext.illinois.edu/turkey/history.cfm3. http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/wild_turkey_facts.html4. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-11/todays-turkeys-are-genetically-distinct-their-proud-wild-ancestors5. http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/why-is-turkey-served-on-thanksgiving