<P> U.S. tradition compares the holiday with a meal held in 1621 by the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims who settled at Plymouth Plantation . It is continued in modern times with the Thanksgiving dinner, traditionally featuring turkey, playing a central role in the celebration of Thanksgiving . </P> <P> In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals . Turkey, usually roasted and stuffed (but sometimes deep - fried instead), is typically the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table, so much so that Thanksgiving is colloquially known as "Turkey Day ." In fact, 45 million turkeys were consumed on Thanksgiving Day alone in 2015 . With 85 percent of Americans partaking in the meal, that's an estimated 276 million Americans dining on the festive poultry, spending an expected $1.05 billion on turkeys for Thanksgiving in 2016 . </P> <P> Mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, various fall vegetables, squash, brussels sprouts and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner . Green bean casserole was introduced in 1955 and remains a favorite . All of these are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived . Turkey may be an exception . In his book Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick suggests that the Pilgrims might already have been familiar with turkey in England, even though the bird is native to the Americas . The Spaniards had brought domesticated turkeys back from Central America in the early 17th century, and the birds soon became popular fare all over Europe, including England, where turkey (as an alternative to the traditional goose) became a "fixture at English Christmases". The Pilgrims did not observe Christmas . </P> <P> As a result of the size of Thanksgiving dinner, Americans eat more food on Thanksgiving than on any other day of the year . </P>

When did january 26 become a public holiday