Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a bit of background on what you
ate today. Turkeys are native to North America. They are not from Turkey. The
pilgrims thought the birds were the same as an African bird called the guinea
fowl, which was brought to Europe through Turkish lands. The English called the
birds “Turkish chicken”. The Pilgrims named the similar looking
American bird Turkey. So yeah, Turkey is not named after the turkey. Nor are turkeys from Turkey.
Another faraway place with a holiday themed name is Christmas Island, located way out in the Indian Ocean. History tells us that Jesus was not born there, but the island was “discovered” on Christmas day 1643, hence the name. It is unlikely that Santa Claus lives there although that’s never been proven.
Lastly, we come to Easter Island, located off the coast of Chile, in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. The first recorded European contact with the island was on Easter Sunday, 1722. Hence the name. Unlike our holiday Easter, this island does not move around.
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