7 Signs You're Having a California Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

How is Thanksgiving celebrated in California? ›

But in California, many of us celebrate Thanksgiving a little differently. In the land of year-round fresh produce and sunny skies, we swap green beans for brussels sprouts, put sourdough in our stuffing and often enjoy our feasts outdoors.

While turkey is a staple on most Thanksgiving tables across America, Californians often opt for fresh, locally sourced turkeys or even try alternative proteins like roasted duck or quail. In addition to the main protein, Californians love to incorporate seasonal vegetables into their Thanksgiving feasts.

Thanksgiving-type celebrations were common at the turn of the 19th century with many opting to put a turkey on the table instead of slaughtering a useful animal like a hen or cow that was producing other needed products, according to Britannica. Turkeys at the time, and still today, were raised to be meat birds.

Many of the dishes in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner are made from ingredients native to the Americas, including turkey, potato, sweet potato, corn (maize), squash (including pumpkin), green bean, and cranberry.

Independence Day: July 4. Labor Day: September 4. Veterans Day: November 10 (observed) Thanksgiving Day: November 23.

Thanksgiving Day is a United States national holiday celebrated annually on the fourth Thursday of November. All public schools and the CDE will be closed for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.

Illinois tied between salad and mashed potatoes as their favorite side dish and 84% of Virginians prefer cooking the sides to the turkey more than any other state. California and New York prefer a root vegetable dish. Florida also tied between a root vegetable dish and bread as their favorite side.

US - Californians eat 21 pounds of turkey per person annually, more than any other state, and while it may seem we eat all that turkey on just one day in November, it's actually spread out over the full year.

The best known is the common turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), a native game bird of North America that has been widely domesticated for the table. The other species is Agriocharis (or Meleagris) ocellata, the ocellated turkey.

Did we eat raccoons for Thanksgiving? ›

Vinnie Joyce of Nitta Yuma, Mississippi sent the First Family a raccoon in November 1926 with the intention of it being butchered and eaten for Thanksgiving. President Coolidge passed on the idea saying that although plenty of people ate raccoon, it wasn't the meat for him.

Both chicken and turkey provide healthy protein. Generally, chicken tends to be higher in vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid, and turkey tends to be lower in calories, fat, and sodium while having more zinc, niacin, and vitamin B12.

"Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture," says the United American Indians of New England. They've marked the occasion as a day of mourning for 48 years, according to Native Hope.

This is usually a mix of traditional Thanksgiving food and Black culture. You'll see the classic Thanksgiving dishes like turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing paired with collard greens, yams, mac and cheese, and other traditional Black dishes.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $27.35.

How is Thanksgiving celebrated? In both Canada and America, family and friends gather for a meal and other celebrations on Thanksgiving. Traditional fare in America often includes turkey, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. Parades and football games also have long associations with Thanksgiving.

There's no requirement in the California labor code that an employer pay a premium rate (“holiday pay”) for work on a federal holiday. They're only binding on most federal and many state workers, not private employers. (There's also no requirement that you get any of the federal holidays off.)