The Unique Charm of Being a “Turkey Baby”
Thanksgiving dinner
Being a “Turkey Baby”—a person born around Thanksgiving—comes with an inability to separate oneself from the holiday and the season’s celebrations. For me, being born in late November means an overwhelming sense of thankfulness attached to the idea of my birthday. It’s also a crazy busy time of year to squeeze in yet another cause for celebration, but some of my best birthday celebrations have been with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holidays. I’d like to share with you some of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions and memories and to give you a little glimpse into the life of a turkey baby.
A Table Full of Traditions
For turkey babies, birthday celebrations often come with an abundance of seasonal favorites: sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, and of course, turkey. As a young girl, I remember my birthday cake sharing the table with pecan pie, my mom’s homemade candy, and my aunt’s world-famous chess squares at my extended family’s Thanksgiving celebration. My Granny Holland knew that I wasn’t the biggest fan of roast turkey (I know…sacrilege from a turkey baby), so she always showed up with her homemade chicken and dumplings. Her hours of effort on that delicious dish resulted in one happy birthday girl. It’s been so many years, but I remember those meals so vividly. There truly is nothing better for a child than hearing your entire family sing Happy Birthday to you. It always made me feel like the celebrity of our Thanksgiving celebrations.
As I got older, my birthday and Thanksgiving celebrations changed. College-aged get-togethers were spent with hometown friends on the night before Thanksgiving. We’d all meet up at a local bar or someone’s house and catch up, and I’d have the time of my life celebrating with childhood friends. Post-college birthdays included a lot of Friendsgiving parties, where friends who couldn’t afford to travel home would get together and eat and drink all day long. At some point during those days, inevitably, someone would pull out some surprise birthday cupcakes and sing a sometimes-drunken rendition of Happy Birthday to me. It was a joyful time, and I was so happy to be remembered during the celebration.
Southern vs. Northern Thanksgiving: Key Culinary Differences
When I married a Jersey boy in 2003, I learned that there are some definitive differences in what is served on tables in the North vs. what we Southerners serve at Thanksgiving. Here are just a few of the things I noticed:
Stuffing vs. Dressing - In the South, the mixture of bread, herbs, and other ingredients is often referred to as "dressing" and is typically cooked separately from the turkey. In the North, it's more commonly called "stuffing" and is often placed inside the turkey. My mother-in-law was an exceptional cook, and she used to make homemade stuffing, adding sausage and sometimes even apples to her stuffing. I’d never had anything like it, and it was absolutely delicious.
Cornbread vs. Regular Bread - Southern dressing often uses cornbread as a base, while Northern stuffing is more likely to use sourdough or some other type of bread. Also, I learned that cornbread served north of the Mason Dixon line is never, ever sweet.
Sweet Potato Casserole - Southern sweet potato casseroles tend to be sweeter, with the addition of marshmallows, brown sugar, and sometimes even pecans. According to my husband, my sweet potato casserole qualifies as a dessert rather than as any form of vegetable.
Mac & Cheese - A popular side dish in the South, macaroni and cheese is a much less common addition to northern Thanksgiving tables. However, no one ever complained when I made my ooey-gooey mac and cheese and brought it to the family table.
The year we got married, my husband and I started the tradition of hosting an all-day Thanksgiving celebration for all of our local friends and family. We would often host 30+ people, so we’d start the day in the kitchen bright and early, cooking a kingly feast and listening to 80s music. At the end of the day, our efforts were always worth it. Our home was a warm and welcoming place full of laughter, football, John Hughes’ movies, and happy bellies. And, I’ll never forget the year a friend of ours showed up with a turkey-shaped birthday cake! It was hilarious and surprisingly yummy. Who knew you could make icing that color?
As our family has grown, we’ve started our own Thanksgiving traditions. We celebrate a little differently now – usually with prime rib and twice-baked potatoes instead of a more traditional meal – but the feeling of gratitude is still the same. There’s truly something poetic about being born during a holiday season centered around thankfulness. Many turkey babies grow up hearing their birthdays framed within the context of gratitude. Whether it’s simply being acknowledged during the Thanksgiving dinner toast or hearing a heartfelt rendition of Happy Birthday from those you hold most dear, being a Thanksgiving baby can foster a lifelong appreciation for the blessings in life.
So, if you’re a fellow turkey baby, I encourage you to embrace your festive birthright. You’re a living reminder of the joy, gratitude, and togetherness that Thanksgiving brings—and that’s something truly worth celebrating.