Why do Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving? See how the bird is connected to the holiday

Though most people agree it's a bland and dry bird, Americans have yet to let go of the tradition of turkey at Thanksgiving.

During the month of November, school children create a myriad of turkey crafts, including the recent trend of disguising a turkey as their favorite cartoon character to help it avoid becoming dinner.

Some even post to social media on the fourth Thursday in November using the caption "Happy Turkey Day!"

But how did turkey become so connected with the fall holiday in the first place?

Why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving?

While today the traditional meat served on Thanksgiving is turkey, historians agree it probably wasn't present in the 1621 feast shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. The Wampanoag brought deer, while the Pilgrims provided "fowl," which was likely ducks or geese.

By the 1800s though, turkey became a popular bird to serve when needing to feed a whole family, according to Britannica.

More: When was the first Thanksgiving? What to know about the holiday's true history

But turkey may have become synonymous with Thanksgiving thanks to author Sarah Josepha Hale. In her 1827 novel "Northwood," she wrote an entire chapter about a New England Thanksgiving, with a roasted turkey “placed at the head of the table.”

Hale was also instrumental in getting Thanksgiving declared a national holiday, having campaigned for years before Lincoln finally did so in 1863.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why do we eat turkey at Thanksgiving? A look at the history