With spooky season coming to a close, it’s time for the next wave of holidays to commence. That’s right collegiettes, holidayS. Because while many department stores and radio stations would have you believe that post-Halloween means the immediate need for stockings to be hung, menorahs or kinaras to be lit, and snow to cover every inch of the earth, those are, in fact, not the first holidays after Halloween. That’s right, I’m talking about Thanksgiving, the less glamorous, but best, holiday of the year. Now before you go tying me up in tinsel, here are the top 5 reasons why Thanksgiving deserves more respect.
1. The Food
Honestly this article could just end here with that reason alone. Sure, Christmas’ cookies are enticing, but nothing beats the spread on Thanksgiving. Don’t like turkey? Not a problem, because the sides are arguably the better part anyway- I mean, how many times a year do you get the opportunity to eat a meal that could consist of solely various types of potatoes served in different ways? Truly, nothing beats sitting down to the table after a long day and eating a hot meal at any point in the year, and Thanksgiving basically gives you the opportunity to do that, without it even having to have been a long day! Genius!
2. Naps are allowed
I learned in biochemistry that the amino acid, tryptophan, in turkey, is the reason you can feel sleepy after that Thanksgiving meal. And honestly, who am I to argue with science? You have the scientific right to nap after a Thanksgiving meal. What more could you want from a holiday?
3. No special outfits
Most holidays come with a dress code: Halloween means costumes, Christmas and Easter mean dresses, and even 4th of July means wearing every single piece of clothing you own that is either red, whit or blue. But with Thanksgiving there are no rules. Want to wear a dress? Great, go for it. Jeans more your style? Also acceptable. Want to wear yoga pants so you have as much room as possible to fit those slices of pecan pie? Perfectly fine, and encouraged.
4. No gift pressure
Gift giving can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, receiving gifts is obviously great, and also the moment of watching someone get excited over the gift you gave him/her can give you an incredible feeling. On the other hand, gift giving can be really taxing. You want to give the best gifts to show the people you love how much you care about them, but at the same time will they even like the gift you gave them? Can you even afford the gifts you want to give? Those holidays can be really hard for a lot of people; there is a lot of guilt surrounding either being unable to pay for great gifts, as well as not being able to think of a good idea of a gift to give. However, that is not an issue with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is solely about being grateful for what is currently in your life, and all the good that is to come. Great for the soul, and your wallet.
5. It’s just wholesome
As previously mentioned, Thanksgiving is the time in which family, friends and everyone in between comes together to just celebrate the fact that they are thankful for those around them. It is not too often that we are able to express our gratitude for all the people in our lives, but Thanksgiving is a day in which only those good, positive thoughts and words of appreciation are allowed to be said.
So whether it is playing football in the backyard (or on the television), dancing along with the Rockettes during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or sneaking food from the kitchen before it is served, you just cannot go wrong on Thanksgiving. Call those who cannot be with you and hug those that can, and have an amazing Thanksgiving, collegiettes.