Introduction
Food is widely considered an expression of society’s identity, traditions, and values. Food used during celebrations helps people think of their identity, inspirations and hopes because it is often chosen due to its symbological meaning. Foodways of different nations living all over the world are reflections of their attitudes and hopes, as they provide steady emotional and logical associations and could work as meaningful rituals.
Thanksgiving Holiday American Foodways
Traditional Thanksgiving meal symbolizes ideas celebrated by the event: expression of gratitude for things we have in our lives. According to Wise and Wallach (2016), the typical American family’s meal for a holiday includes a roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, corn, green beans, succotash, and an apple or pumpkin pie for dessert. My family considers turkey an essential element of the holiday, while supplements to it could be substituted due to one’s preferences. Still, even if my family is very open-minded about food, we can not make a pizza or order sushi for the celebration.
Nowadays, Thanksgiving food still reminds American people of the natural rural cycle: people used only homemade ingredients in the past. It is still valid for some people in America, but most utilize modern life’s advantages and buy food in the marketplaces or supermarkets as my family does. I suppose that the typical division of labor when only females are involved in cooking should become a thing of the past. Our family members believe that the most enjoyable part of the holiday is cooking together; sometimes, it seems more important to establish an atmosphere of unity than eating.
Foodways of the Indigenous Peoples of Yakutia
The nomads’ society in Yakutia focuses on horses, reindeer, and cow herding because venison is the standard component of their nutrition. Women are traditionally involved in cooking, and the ingredients are usually produced by their means. Yakuts have original fermented dairy drinks and other dairy products (Bianquis & Williot, 2019). An example of their ritual food is Salamat – porridge cooked for weddings and birthdays that still maintains its popularity.
Conclusion
The iconic Thanksgiving American food is pumpkin, turkey, corn, and apples. Turkeys obtain the meaning of generosity and unity as they are usually divided into smaller parts to share within the group. They still maintain their symbology, while other traditions in foodways could alter within the frames of a particular family. Compared to Americans, Yakutia’s nomads are more traditional in the gender division of labor and food production.
References
Bianquis, I. & Williot, J. P. (Eds.). (2019). Nomadic food: Anthropological and historical studies around the world. Rowman & Littlefield.
Wise, M. D. & Wallach, J. J. (Eds.). (2016). The Routledge History of American foodways. Taylor & Francis.