The American holiday deserves proper celebration
The clock strikes midnight and the spiderwebs, cauldrons and haunted houses disappear on Nov. 1. Americans wake up to the sound of jingle bells and inescapable holiday music. Supermarkets whip out the hot chocolate and cookie displays while retail stores promote ugly sweaters and fuzzy winter socks.
The transition from Halloween festivities to the Christmas craze is becoming increasingly rapid with every passing year, to the point that any store could begin spreading Christmas cheer in August and no one would bat an eye. Eyes roll and naysayers mumble under their breath with every Christmas display they pass. But the autumn-long evasion of the Christmas craze is normalized; no one can stop it.
Amid Halloween costume designing and Christmas shopping, Thanksgiving is rendered as the forgotten middle child of the three holidays. Americans prefer elaborate Halloween parties and expensive Christmas shopping to a humble Thanksgiving meal.
Despite taking the backseat to its neighboring holidays, Thanksgiving is a national treasure. Watching “Miracle on 34th Street,” cooking with my family and watching the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television were staples of my childhood. It’s a sad sight to see that as I grow up and become accustomed to adulthood, my Thanksgiving is downgraded to nostalgic memories. The magic of Thanksgiving is slowly dispersing into the shadows, which is not a feeling confined to myself. It’s time everyone regains a Thanksgiving spirit. It’s time to understand why Thanksgiving is always neglected compared to its sister holidays.
In the leap from Halloween to Christmas, Americans wrap up their spiderweb and embark on the adventure of gift shopping season. Modern-day Christmas has no mercy. People take the reins by November 1 and jump right into gift shopping. Blasting Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is normalized for months on end as red and green sweeps the nation. This is the mentality American society has collectively developed. Christmas time can be stretched out further each year if everyone silently agrees to engage holiday jubilee early on.
In the accumulation of this so-called Christmas craze, Thanksgiving gets pushed deeper into the shadows. Calendars are marked every year for the fourth Thursday in November, but Christmas remains at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
In result of society’s fast-paced nature, there’s an illusion that less time exists for Thanksgiving festivities. Halloween and Christmas stand on their pedestals while Thanksgiving sits on the bleachers until it’s called in to play. Halloween rolls out the red carpet for Christmas, and Thanksgiving fights for a moment in the spotlight.
But the holiday that is rooted in thankfulness, gratitude and family deserves to stand on its own pedestal. For those who are celebrating on their own, the Thanksgiving virtue of family may feel comically ironic with a tinge of sadness. Especially for college students who may not be able to travel home for Thanksgiving break, a lonely pizza box in a dimly lit dorm room desk does not fit the ideal image of the hallmark holiday. Comparatively, for those celebrating the holiday with a partner, friends or family, people may feel burnt out or overwhelmed by the thought of hosting a Thanksgiving feast.
Holidays are meant to bring a brief break in routine and add color to day-to-day life. But that message has lost its power amid the modern-day holiday season. No wonder it’s becoming easier to ignore Thanksgiving; Halloween and Christmas suddenly require significant time and focus, leaving Thanksgiving behind as an afterthought. If Christmas is the eldest child with the most responsibilities and Halloween is the youngest with the most needs, then Thanksgiving is the middle child who receives limited care.
It’s time to equalize the playing field among the holidays. Gone is the focus on spending time with friends and family. In place is a culture focused on purchasing the best decorations, the best gifts, the best outfits, the best food, etc. I miss grocery shopping for Thanksgiving meals and drinking egg nogg while watching “It’s a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Now, life feels so fast paced I myself might order a pizza and call it a day.
But this defeatist attitude only stokes the flames of Thanksgiving neglect. Take your own spin on Thanksgiving and cherish nostalgic memories. If you decide to order that pizza, invite other people over. If you travel home for Thanksgiving, convince your family to watch a fan-favorite holiday movie. Whatever you decide, do it your way. As always, choose what makes you happy.
Reimagine Thanksgiving this year as a time to reflect on what you have, the goals you’re pursuing and all of the adventures you have yet to face. Welcome the chance to spend time with your loved ones, or take the opportunity for self-care time. Regardless of where you will be for Thanksgiving and who you may be celebrating with, remove yourself from society’s hasty energy. Thanksgiving grants us an irreplaceable gift: time to breath and reflect on what makes life beautiful. Give the middle child holiday the love that it deserves. In return, you may make beautiful lifelong memories.