We associate Candy and Halloween with October. Mention November and thoughts go to the turkey and Thanksgiving. But how did the Turkey get it’s name? Some people say that Christopher Columbus had a lot to do with it.

As you know, when Columbus discovered land, he thought he was in India, a country overrun with peacocks. When he saw wild turkeys roaming the new land, he assumed they were a type of peacock (turkeys are actually a type of pheasant). So, Columbus named them “titka” which is “peacock” in the Tamil Language of India.

Other people believe the turkey got his name from Native Americans. They called the turkey “firkee”. Still others believe it has something to do with the noise a turkey makes when it is frightened, “turk, turk, turk”. So, your guess and story is as good as mine. I am always fascinated with the origin of names. More on turkeys and Thanksgiving as we go along.

New England is being pelted with rain and some snow in higher elevations. It does my heart some good because we talk about storms with possible snow in our predictions. I hope this is a sign of what is to come later this month and a white Christmas for much of the US and Canada

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