Feaster.

Every Thanksgiving, turkey becomes a huge deal -- every American has to comment on the turkey he or she is having for dinner, or explain why something else was on the menu. Eating kosher or halal is no excuse, of course, unless you're in some area that can't provide those butchers, but veganism, vegetarianism, poultry allergy, and just a strong dislike of turkey are acceptable excuses, although the excusee may harbor doubts about the excuser's devotion to the holiday and, by extension, America. The only non-turkey excuse that really works is the argument of authenticity, that the Pilgrims likely did not eat turkey on the first Thanksgiving, and thus one is instead having truly traditional dishes including eel and deer. 

Other holidays are not so steadfast on the entrée. Usually Easter boils down to ham or lamb, but it's a toss-up. A lot of people don't like lamb; they find it gamey, or they just don't want to eat young animals (these would avoid veal as well). The significance of lamb to the holiday is obvious, from Jesus the Lamb of God, but I'm not sure how ham got into the act. Unless it was to prove that, thanks to St. Paul, Christians can eat pigs and it's all cool. Sort of. 

You don't have to be Christian to love ham!

It may be that some families go with turkey for Easter, and I wouldn't be surprised. My preferred supermarket, the one on the five-story hill, has an offer that goes as follows: If you spend $400 in the store in the weeks leading up to Easter, you can use your loyalty card to get a free half shank smoked ham, store-brand turkey, frozen lasagna, kosher chicken, turkey breast, Tofurky, Gardein vegan "holiday roast," or deep discounts on other hams and turkeys. Going by this it looks like people eat ham, turkey, or spurious fake meat. But there are no lamb discounts. (I understand that people celebrating Passover would probably not be getting ham, and often will serve chicken, but where are the brisket discounts?)

Well, as for me and mine, we're having lamb shanks. What's on your menu?