We all know that Thanksgiving is about spending time with family, recognizing our country’s history and celebrating what we are thankful for from the past year. We all have special ways to celebrate this day; however, let me raise a new tradition: Turkey Notes.
Now of course you’re wondering, what actually is a Turkey Note? Well, it’s a poem, and it consists of around four lines, or at least that’s how I write them. The first three lines begin with the word “Turkey,” and the third line reads “Turkey says.” The last line of the poem is something Turkey says or does that relates to whoever is reading it. In my family, we like to recognize the host of the Thanksgiving meal. For example:
Turkey spooky,
Turkey ghost,
Turkey says,
You are such a great host!
Turkey Notes are important to me because I have experienced them all my life. The idea started near my hometown, where many of my family members grew up. In Davenport, Iowa, the custom came about “full of mystery and glamour and fairly bad poetry,” according to the Davenport Public Library.
These notes are said to have been around for over a hundred years, though the origin is unknown. To me, this adds to the fun because the notes can be creative—they don’t have to be the same as the original. They can be used for humor, gratitude or even mischief.
Turkey Notes can be whatever you want them to be. In my family, they are often related to something a person has done recently. And as one of the token Turkey Note writers on both sides of my family, I can confidently tell you that it’s a great way to connect and share memories with people you haven’t seen in a while.
My favorite part of these poems is that the words included don’t have to relate to Thanksgiving or even to each other. Their silliness and distinct nature makes them more entertaining. Though most of the Tukey Notes I’ve written have not been my finest work, all my family members look forward to them every year, and the laughs and reactions have been priceless. Some of my relatives have even saved their notes from previous years.
I love that Turkey Notes have been passed down from generation to generation, moving with the relatives when they moved to different cities. I remember the big gatherings we had when I was a young girl: I was excited to hear what my note—written by my grandma or my aunt—would say, the paper tightly rolled up in a cylinder with the edges frayed. I remember traveling to Davenport with my family, writing the notes in the car, cutting the edges with scissors and tying both ends of the paper with ribbons we had lying around the house.
Now that my sisters and I are in charge of the Turkey Notes each year, we make sure to roll them up and present them the same way every time. That alone is a tradition we learned from our grandmothers and are proud to continue.
Some years I extend the tradition to my friends, texting them their own Turkey Notes. Though they may not share my history with the custom and a text can’t be nicely tied with an image of a turkey stamped onto it, I hope it brings a smile to their faces.
Turkey Notes may be silly or have poorly written rhyme schemes, but I believe they are a tradition that will last many lifetimes. They bring people together, celebrate the holiday and relationships with family and friends and deepen creativity. So get out your pens and your stamps; it’s Turkey Note time!
I’ll leave you with this:
Turkey begging,
Turkey pleading,
Turkey exclaims,
Thank you for reading!
Bridget Schmid can be reached at schm1520@stthomas.edu.