Mashed's Exclusive Survey Uncovers The Absolute Best Holiday For Food
Many U.S. holidays involve gathering around the dinner table to celebrate with traditional foods that fit the occasion. In many families, Christmas is commemorated with a large feast, often containing turkey, cranberry sauce, vegetables, and mashed potatoes (per Meat and Meet Market). The origins of this large meal lie in its significance to Christianity. Big meals are served on December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, whereas in the past, the days leading up to Christmas were considered "lean days."
The tradition of barbecuing on the Fourth of July began down South when locals prepared a large amount of food to bring the community together, per Southern Living. The gathering became quite formal; local militia would lead feasters to a meeting hall to recite the Declaration of Independence and display their patriotism before being released to dinner. Today, the origins of these celebrations are mostly unknown, but food still has a stronghold during the holidays. To find out which holiday serves the best menu, Mashed conducted an exclusive survey of our readers.
There's a lot to be thankful for
In a Mashed-conducted survey of 582 of our readers, we found out which holiday is the best for foodies. With 68.21% of votes, Thanksgiving expectedly comes in first place. Second place goes to Christmas with 19.93% of votes, and the Fourth of July scores third place with 7.04% of votes (interestingly, as the percentage matches the date of the holiday). Last place went to St. Patrick's Day with only 2.06% of votes, and Easter garnered 2.75% of votes.
A traditional Thanksgiving menu is made up of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Some of the best Thanksgiving side dishes include sweet potatoes, rolls, numerous vegetables, and other seasonal desserts.
You may already be aware of the reason for feasting on Thanksgiving. According to History, the English settlers that found Plymouth, Massachusetts didn't have the easiest first year. However, in November of 1621, the pilgrims' first corn harvest was successful after help from Native Americans, and they threw a large feast as a celebration. This is how Thanksgiving got its start, and why Americans get to enjoy food on the highest-scoring holiday of our survey.