Just like every holiday window display, we tend to skip over Thanksgiving and go straight from our candy comas to Christmas carols. But, once upon a time, this holiday was appreciated. Families gathered to cook, relax, bond, and give thanks. The spirit of this holiday was centered on gratitude, something we can all afford to think about. The extreme hype and commercialization of Halloween and Christmas has left Thanksgiving to be an unappreciated holiday. It lacks the glitz and glam of our high profile season and it has transformed into more of a pit-stop long weekend between Halloween and Christmas. Sure, we all love going home, seeing our old friends, and Instagraming the feast, but the spirit of the holiday has been lost.
With all of Thanksgiving’s perks – good food, good football, and great people – we are still bombarded with the reminder that Christmas is right around the corner. Holly jolly carols have started their takeover of radios and grocery shopping soundtracks. Besides the catchy tunes, one of the biggest culprits of ruining the Thanksgiving spirit is Black Friday. The day meant for discounted shopping has become it’s own national holiday, stealing the limelight from our original November holiday. It began as an event on just Friday, opening for regular workday hours with irregularly low prices. Yet, every year the deals creep closer and closer to the time meant for joining our loved ones at the dinner table, urgining us to join the stampede of shoppers. This year, some stores even opened before dessert hit the table, and before Thanksgiving properly ended, the countdown to Christmas began.
It’s time to start appreciating Thanksgiving once again. The holiday is about giving thanks to those around you, and valuing all that you have in your life. How could a holiday with such a priceless and thoughtful value be swept under our Christmas tree skirts? With Thanksgiving now over, one way to better embody the Christmas spirit is to remember the core principles of Thanksgiving — to be grateful. Focusing on scoring the best deal on a perfect gift isn’t the most important part of the holiday season, its spending quality time with those who love you most. Although pit-stops are short lived, and seemingly insignficant in the grand scheme of a roadtrip, they are absolutely necessary. Before taking a nose-dive into the frenzy of holiday shopping, take a moment to remember everything that you already have.
Here at Her Campus at UC Davis, we are beyond thankful for all of you. We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving, and continue to give thanks during the remainder of the holiday season!