The last few months of the year are always so anticipated, as soon as summer draws to a close we want to jump straight into being spooky for Halloween, and right after Halloween we jump to being jolly for Christmas – but wait a second, aren’t we forgetting something?
Thanksgiving is perhaps the most underrated event of the holiday season! Certainly deserving of more love than we can give it, Thanksgiving is often not forgotten – but overlooked. We get so excited for Christmas that when the clock strikes midnight on November first, all the pumpkins turn to Christmas trees, and you can’t walk into a store without hearing the Christmas classics. We remember that Thanksgiving is coming but tend to overlook it to focus on the more popular holiday. I love Christmas just as much as anyone, but Thanksgiving is an essential part of the holiday season. Being at college, how could we not get excited over a holiday based around eating tons of amazing food? One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is the people that you spend it with. Everyone has their own traditions, and just being able to take that time to spend with your loved ones not having to worry about anything (except eating all the delicious food) is the best. After you eat until you can’t possibly eat anymore, it’s time to take the best nap of the year and wake up just to eat again.
Just because it isn’t as commercialized as other holidays, doesn’t mean that Thanksgiving isn’t worth our time – in fact maybe that’s what makes Thanksgiving so great. Thanksgiving is such a low maintenance holiday. Unless you have the task of actually cooking the meal, all you have to do is show up, be thankful and eat. Maybe being thankful is the part that we struggle with, and that’s why we overlook Thanksgiving. Maybe we feel like we have nothing to be thankful for? No matter what your life is like, there’s always something to be thankful for – your family, your friends, the opportunities you have or simply even just getting off time from school. As if the food and family time isn’t already enough reason to love Thanksgiving, let’s not forget one of the coolest things about the holiday – the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. All the different balloons, performers and the overall spirit of the parade is so much fun to watch. When I was a kid, the parade was an indication of when it was time to start your Christmas festivities because Santa rides on his float to kick off the Christmas season.
So hear me out, Halloween is great, Christmas is amazing, but please don’t overlook Thanksgiving. It deserves our attention for at least a few days before we completely shift into being jolly! Slow down this holiday season, and enjoy the holidays as they come. So many things are rushed in our society, but don’t let a chance to be with family and eat a great meal be one of them. Most importantly, have a happy Thanksgiving!