Turkey replaced goose as the traditional holiday meal primarily due to its larger size, allowing one bird to feed a whole family, and its early reputation as an affordable, exotic, and lean meat. While goose was common for centuries, turkey's popularity grew from the 16th-century, boosted by Victorian-era popularity and 1950s convenience.
By the 17th century, turkeys were becoming more popular as a festive meal in England. Before this, people often ate other birds like goose, peacock or swan. Turkeys were seen as a more practical choice as they were large enough to feed a family but didn't have other uses like cows for milk or chickens for eggs.
Another possible reason is one of practicality. Turkeys grow bigger, and when you have a lot of mouths to feed (such as in the large, rural families of the United States in the 19th century, remaining much more rural than the UK for longer), a turkey makes more sense than a goose, if you can afford it.
Bottom line: goose declined because of economics (price and supply), changing household sizes and cooking habits, perceived difficulty, and cultural shifts that promoted cheaper, easier alternatives.
We don't eat geese as commonly as chicken or turkey due to a combination of cultural shifts away from traditional holiday meals, the expense and difficulty of raising them (they're fatty, slow-growing, and hard to factory farm), and the rise of cheaper, more abundant turkey, making goose a less practical option for everyday consumption. While popular in some European traditions (especially for Christmas) and still hunted in places like the U.S., they've been largely replaced by other poultry.
Why do we eat turkey for Christmas (and Thanksgiving)? | Episode 8 | BBC Ideas
Why do we eat duck but not goose?
Roasted goose is more expensive because the raw goose is more expensive to procure than duck. Also, there are fewer people who know how to prepare goose as opposed to duck.
So when Genesis 1:21 (NIV) says, “God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind,” the goose was on the top of God's mind.
God also lists birds and other flying creatures that are unclean for consumption (Leviticus 11:13-19). He identifies carrion eaters and birds of prey as unclean, plus ostriches, storks, herons and bats. Birds such as chickens, turkeys and pheasants are not on the unclean list and therefore can be eaten.
Why do Polish Catholics not eat meat on Christmas Eve?
A Christmas Eve dinner excludes meat, as abstinence is required, and should comprise twelve distinct dishes in memory of the twelve Apostles. It begins with a soup, either borscht with uszka (tortellini), or wild mushroom consommé (grzybowa), followed by herring in different forms.
We have to hand it to turkey for its lower calorie, fat and saturated fat content and higher amounts of vitamin B3 and selenium. Whichever bird you choose, just bear in mind that dark meat is higher in fat and calories than white meat and that the skin is high in fat.
We don't eat turkey eggs commonly because they are less efficient and more expensive to produce than chicken eggs; turkeys lay far fewer eggs (1-2/week vs. chicken's ~1/day), take longer to mature, need more space and feed, and are primarily bred for meat, making their eggs a costly novelty rather than a staple. While edible and richer, they aren't economical for mass consumption, with one egg potentially costing as much as a dozen chicken eggs.
Emu Eggs. Emu eggs weigh in less than an ostrich egg at about 2 lbs. These eggs have a dark shell that is usually black in color and speckled with a deep green. Emu eggs are one of the richest tasting eggs.
The tradition of feasting on Turkey for the festive season became popularised during the 16th century, when, as rumour has it, monarchs like Henry VIII made it famous. Before the 16th century, most people ate goose, boar's head, or even peacock on Christmas Day.
There's a reason goose tastes so much better than turkey. In a word, fat. “One of the reasons farmers raise geese is to be the pigs of the air,” food writer Hank Shaw told GQ for a pean to the bird.
In 2022, the Turkish government requested the United Nations and other international organizations to use Türkiye officially in English, to which they agreed. Turkey has remained the common and conventional name in the English language.
God states that cud-chewing animals with split hooves can be eaten (Leviticus 11:3; Deuteronomy 14:6). These specifically include the cattle, sheep, goat, deer and gazelle families (Deuteronomy 14:4-5). He also lists such animals as camels, rabbits and pigs as being unclean, or unfit to eat (Leviticus 11:4-8).
The old names for the region of modern Turkey include Anatolia (Asia Minor) for the main peninsula and Byzantine Empire, Seljuk Empire, and Ottoman Empire for its historical states, with the name "Turkey" (from Turchia) used in Europe since the 12th century for the land of the Turks, evolving from the Turkic self-name Türk.
Turkey's association with the holiday grew over time. After 1621, it gradually gained popularity as a source of protein. Native to the area and quite plentiful, turkeys were bigger than chickens, ducks, and geese, making them ideal for feeding a crowd.
If you live in the U.S., eating Canada geese may be unlawful. In some parts of the country, geese are intentionally killed to shrink the population and reduce the danger of airplane collisions. But there's no protocol for testing slaughtered geese for toxins, so they end up in landfills instead of in your dining room.
Pork, for example, is the most consumed meat globally, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, making up 36% of the world's meat intake. The popularity of pork is closely followed by poultry, which is a staple in many countries due to its versatility and affordability.
Around 250,000 geese are eaten every Christmas across Britain and with the average bird feeding six people, a roast goose is the perfect choice for your gathering this festive period. British goose is a centrepiece of festive luxury: a roast goose's darker meat packs a rich and flavourful punch.
In the New Testament book of Revelation 4:6–8, four living beings (Greek: ζῷον, zōion) are seen in John's vision. These appear as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, much as in Ezekiel but in a different order.
Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, quail and pheasants do not appear on this list of unclean birds and are considered clean—okay for us to eat. Most insects are not good to eat, but God says some insects, such as locusts, grasshoppers and crickets, are okay to eat (Leviticus 11:22).
Leviticus 5:7 And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.
