As the weather grows colder and students begin to register for classes next semester, Thanksgiving grows closer. What is it about Thanksgiving that attracts so many people? Is it parades, fall weather or time off from school? None of these factors compare to what truly makes Thanksgiving such an anticipated holiday: the food.
Growing up, my family always hosted Thanksgiving dinner. In return, I got to experience every dish being made firsthand as I watched my family members prepare them. I can attest to the hard work that goes into the multitude of dishes served for Thanksgiving dinner, but there is one dish that can be eliminated in my eyes: cranberry sauce.
What is so controversial about cranberry sauce? To that thought, I have a few responses. To start, cranberry sauce is visibly one of the smaller dishes served during Thanksgiving, so would that many people even notice if it were suddenly eliminated from the table? In addition, cranberry sauce is often overshadowed by other dishes such as traditional gravy. Although some enjoy cranberry sauce on top of their turkey and other dishes, gravy is by far the more popular option.
“Cranberry sauce is gross, and [is] only brought to Thanksgiving because of tradition,” a Reddit quote read.
To elaborate, cranberry sauce can be traced back to Indigenous people who lived in the mid-to-late 17th century, according to “Business Insider.” In addition, the first written recipe for cranberry sauce appears in the 1796 cookbook “American Cookery” by Amelia Simmons.
Clearly, cranberry sauce has an immense tradition in Thanksgiving history. This can cause people to feel an obligation to prepare this dish, although the majority of guests find it unnecessary.
“[Cranberry sauce is] always a left-over dish. Gravy pairs better with anything you’d put it on. It’s disgusting,” the Reddit thread continued.
As stated earlier, gravy serves a similar purpose to cranberry sauce, yet it continues to be the more appealing option year after to year.
To no surprise, on Villanova’s campus, similar opinions arose when cranberry sauce was mentioned.
“I hate cranberry sauce,” Villanova communication professor Michael Bradley said.
He also mentioned his love for gravy, stating he eats turkey sandwiches for lunch often, but “you need gravy for thanksgiving.” In addition, he called attention towards an honorable mention: pecan pie. In addition to cranberry sauce, he mentioned how pecan pie is not as desirable as fruit pies such as cherry, his favorite. This is a similar comparison to gravy being the more desirable sauce.
People all around the country are moving away from cranberry sauce. When one eats Thanksgiving dinner, are they more focused on the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes or the small bowl of red cranberry sauce sitting in the corner? Although it carries a rich amount of history, cranberry sauce is not an essential dish to Thanksgiving dinner. When you finish dinner on the 28th, notice how much leftover cranberry sauce you have.
