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Why Thanksgiving Dinner Is Served All at Once

Ever wonder why Thanksgiving’s traditional dinner is served at once? No courses and no servers—just a culinary dump of turkey and all the fixings onto the table and an ensuing feeding frenzy. 

Rachel Laudan, a food historian and chef, explains that Thanksgiving is not about what you eat but how you serve it. In 1863, Thanksgiving became a nationally recognized holiday. Cuisine and EmpireAccording to the author, it was created by a man who explicitly rejected European customs. Sarah Josepha Hale As a statement of the republican virtues, I designed the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Turkey was affordable to purchase, pumpkin pie was quick and easy, while cranberry Sauce was the simple version of fancy toppings found in French courts. 

The meaning of Thanksgiving has changed over the years—thanks in part to Julia Child’s successful effort to democratize French cuisine—but even today, “nobody suggests adding truffles to your turkey,” says Laudan, who wrote about the politics of Thanksgiving for the Boston Globe.

Nick Gillespie interviewed Laudan back in 2016 to find out the meaning and reasons for Thanksgiving.. It’s a great conversation that is every bit as filling as Thanksgiving—and a lot less coma-inducing—and There are reasonsI am happy to share this with you again, on the eve de Thanksgiving 2021.