Meleagris gallopavo is the main actor of Thanksgiving Day.
That is the scientific name of the turkey. As befitting a star of the dining table. gallopavo is Latin for chicken peacock. For those who have seen a male peacock strut in front of the ladies of its kind, the image is that of shining in all of its colorful might. Truly, the turkey shines as a star on this national day celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November.
Why do Americans celebrate this all-important feast day? I am no American nor have I grown up in America so I have no idea. Good thing we have the google and there are lots of entries explaining what the gobble wobble is all about. Let us go Old School and quote from Old Farmer's Almanac:
"Since 1941, Thanksgiving has been held on the fourth Thursday in November, which means that the actual date of the holiday shifts each year. The earliest date that Thanksgiving can occur is November 22; the latest, November 28.
Prior to the formal establishment of Thanksgiving, harvest festivals had been celebrated for centuries by Native Americans, with colonial services dating back to the late 16th century. The autumnal feasts celebrated the harvest of crops after a season of bountiful growth. As the story goes, it was in the early 1600s when communities of settlers in both Massachusetts and Virginia came together to give thanks for their survival for the fertility of their fields, and for their faith. The most widely known early Thanksgiving is that of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, who feasted for three days with the Wampanoag people in 1621.
Today, folks celebrate Thanksgiving for a multitude of reason. For some, it remains a way to express gratitude for the harvest, for family, or to a higher power; for others, it's a holiday built upon simply being with family and enjoying delicious food."
Speaking of food, why do we eat turkey on Thanksgiving? Firstly, it is iconic. According to 19th Century American author Sarah Hale (the creator of the nursery rhyme "Mary had a Little Lamb"), turkey is one of the few types of meat that American eat that is indigenous to the Americas, it holds a particularly iconic role in the American imagination. Secondly, the use of turkey as a Thanksgiving table centerpiece is a practical one. It's easier to find, less fatty and more affordable than goose, and it feeds a crowd.
Americans do eat a lot of turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Data from the National Turkey Federation show that a whopping 46 million turkeys are served on Thanksgiving and nearly nine in 10 Americans consume them.
Evidently, and to paraphrase the great Elvis, a whole lot of eating going on in them Thanksgiving tables in the households all over these United States of America. Which brings us to a new tradition evolving out of all this gluttonous extravaganza - the rise and continued rise of the Thanksgiving Day fun run or commonly known as Turkey Trots.
Turkey Trots have become a national tradition on Thanksgiving morning itself, or on the weekends before or after, in communities all over the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. According to Running USA, a non-profit running industry group, there were more than 1 million finishers at over 1,000 turkey trot events in 2017. In 2011, there were 680,000 finishers. An article by Cheryl Wischhkover in Vox magazine explains the popularity of turkey trots:
"The boom in turkey trots is due to a recent surge in interest in running and fitness in general, but of course, we can't forget that Thanksgiving is all about gluttony. A lot of people hope that loping along with a turkey hat on their heads for a few miles will mitigate some of the calories they'll be consuming a few hours later. And really, what's more American than eating a huge meal and feeling guilty about it? But the races are now about something closer to what the holiday should represent: family and community."
Family and community. Two significant words that come to mind when we talk about Pinoy Runners Global. It is indeed a growing community where members are treated like family. One of its very active leader is often referred to as "Nanay" and the older male team leaders are respectfully called "Kuya." To encourage its members to continue having a healthy exercise lifestyle during this time of the deadly and sinister covid19 pandemic, the PRG has been organizing regular Virtual Takbo events. These are free and these are fun.
For this week, the featured PRG Virtual Takbo event is of course one that celebrates Thanksgiving Day. Pinoy Runners Bay Area is hosting the Thanksgiving Day Run for the period Nov 20-26, 2020 and it has distances of 5kms, 10kms, 15kms, 21kms and 42kms. To know more about the host barangay and its connection with the turkey trot, the Bicolano Penguin (BP) reached out to Pinoy Runners Bay Area leader Badette Cornejo and interviewed her. Here is our Q&A:
BP: How and when was Pinoy Runners Bay Area organized?
Badette: It was Berlin Marathon, I was walking and I see a lot of Filipinos wearing the same clothes, so I asked them (Bryan, Mike, Ica and their families) e on where did they get that shirt. They said it's from their Pinoy Runners Group. I was like - "How about me?" Lol. I went back home and forgot about it again and one time saw another Filipino wearing the white Pinoy Runner shirt in IG. I asked her on where she got it. She told me I should join Pinoy Runners Global in Facebook and ask the Admin. Took them weeks to actually respond to me. One time they post all the barangays in global page and I don't see Bay Area and so I asked, "Bakit walang Brgy dito sa Bay Area?" Kuya Jen message me and told me that we actually have 3 people in NORCal group but it was never active as a group. I told him, sayang dami Pinoy dito.
Kuya Jen was the one who encourage me to start the group. I was hesitant for awhile as I kept telling him I am not that kind of person that will start something like that. I like to be in the back only for support. I gave in after a few months LOL. I started the group Oct 12, 2019.
BP: How many members does Pinoy Runners Bay Area have?
Badette: We now have 300. It's a mixture of triathletes, hikers, cyclists and runners.
BP: Why is Pinoy Runners Bay Area hosting the Thanksgiving Day Run?
Badette: Nay Rona was looking for a barangay who wants to host Thanksgiving Run, so I volunteer our barangay to host the event.
BP: Before the covid19 pandemic, have you a Thanksgiving Day fun run? A Turkey Trot?
Badette: Yes, I did a couple.
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| Badette getting high up on joining the 2018 Quarry Turkey Trot in Fremont, California. |
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| Group photo of Pinoy Runners Bay Area members. |
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| Golden Gate Bridge is said to be the most photographed bridge in the world. |
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| But beyond the Golden Gate Bridge, the playground of Pinoy Runners Bay Area extends to Mt. Tallac and Lake Tahoe. Planting the flag of the 3 Stars & a Sun. |
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| How about a kiss? The air up there in the Sierra Nevada mountain range is rarefied, literally and figuratively. |
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| Group night run/hike in Mission Peak for Pinoy Runners Bay Area. |
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