Thanksgiving: the middle child of the fall holidays, always overshadowed by Halloween and Christmas. Far too often, this beautiful holiday gets lost in sea of Christmas lights and pumpkins. Though Thanksgiving has terrible origins (i.e. the mass genocide of Native Americas…not cool, Christopher Columbus), I love what it has come to represent: giving thanks for all of the reasons why each passing year has left you feeling #blessed. Honestly, its one of my biggest pet peeves when the Christmas decorations are broken out before December first because I feel like poor ol’ Thanksgiving doesn’t get the recognition it so rightfully deserves! So here are the reasons why I personally believe Thanksgiving is the most underrated holiday of the year:
1. First of all, its the perfect break you need from school. Just when you think your head is going to explode from all the assignments you have had all semester, Thanksgiving break comes out of no where and gives you some time to chill and maybe even catch up on some work before the chaos of finals begins to settle in. Its the perfect calm before the storm where you can (kind of) get your sh*t together.
2. You get to go home, and going home means getting all of the home cooked meals you’ve wanted all semester, and you get super spoiled. For many, it means being able to see you family for the first time since you left for school back in August. Because of the absence of their lovely children, your parents/family are probably going to spoil the sh*t out of you. This could mean going out to dinner, getting to do some late fall shopping, and if your family is like mine, copious bottles of wine with dinner. Home sweet home indeed.
3. YOU GET TO SEE YOUR PETS AND FORCE THEM TO HANG OUT WITH YOU. And snuggle them. And give them love. And take lots of pictures of them and post to social media to show how much you missed them.
4. You can catch up with all of your old high school friends (at least the ones you still keep in touch with), get drunk with them, and reminisce about back in high school and relive all the great memories you made together. You get to talk about how much you miss one another, but also how college is so much better than your small town.
5. You get to sleep in your own bed. And yes, it is glorious.
6. You get to sleep as late as you want because, break.
7. Thanksgiving day, you can wake up and watch the Thanksgiving day parade and pretend that maybe in high school you could have been talented enough to dance like those skinny b*tches in their perfect little leotards.
8. You can sleep all day while your mom and other relatives work rapidly in the kitchen making the most epic meal of the year. Or, if you’re like me, you listen to Mumford & Sons all day while you help your mom make food while your dad and sibling(s) (family pet included) sleep soundly on the couch while you’re hard work.
9. You can play drinking games with yourself/cousins/siblings and see how long it takes for you to get casually plastered while you’re waiting for dinner to be ready. (Take a long swig every time someone asks “what are your plans for after graduation?” Or, take a shot every time someone asks if you’re still single. You’ll be drunk before dinner is anywhere near ready.)
10. THANKSGIVING DINNER.
11. Being able to show off your cute new fall fashion at Thanksgiving dinner. Yes, wearing that fuzzy infinity scarf at dinner is acceptable.
12. You can literally can eat as much as you want for as long as you want, and no one can say a damn thing. No family member dares to bring up the weight you may or may not have gained at school. Its the one day of the year where calories don’t count and everything is beautiful.
13. STUFFING. STUFFING IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
14. Pie. Lots of pie. Or cake, because I like cake better than pie.
15. Thanksgiving sangria. (If you don’t make Thanksgiving sangria, you’re doing it wrong.)
16. Getting to hang out with all of your cousins/family members you genuinely enjoy. Slash being able to get drunk with them (I don’t have a problem I swear).
17. Collapsing into the most satisfying food coma possible. You’re stuffed to the brim, you’re warm, you’re perfectly sleepy…what more could you ask for?
18. Black friday sales (not that I actually go shopping at the big stores on black friday, but I still enjoy what is left of the sales).
19. You don’t have to worry about spending money on Christmas gifts or any of that sh*t. Just food and good company.
20. Most of all, you get to reflect on the year that has just passed, and all the great things that have happened. Its the one day of the year that you get to pause all the craziness of life and give thanks for the things you are actually really thankful for everyday. You can reflect on the good and the bad, and how these events have gotten you to where you are today. You get to tell all the people you really love how much they mean to you, and reflect on how you are so thankful for everything you have in your life. Life can get pretty crazy and we probably should show more gratitude then we do, but this is the one day where we can really appreciate all the wonderful things that make us happy.
So go ahead Christmas, steal Thanksgiving’s thunder all you want; blast those catchy jingles until the speaker blows, because Thanksgiving will always be number one in my heart (and stomach).