Once upon a time, there was an incredible holiday named Thanksgiving where thanks were given, the biggest of turkeys were prepared and served, families gathered together around the dinner table to catch up and give thanks, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was the biggest event of the morning, and local rivalry football teams clashed in competition. Somehow over the years, Thanksgiving got lost among Halloween and Christmas, two holidays with much more hype, preparation and excitement, and soon became the “forgotten holiday” of the season. Poor Thanksgiving tried its best to make an impact but when compared to Christmas, it seemed like it was just simply forgotten.
It’s safe to say that Thanksgiving does not receive most individuals’ attention during the holiday season. Why have we forgotten the spirit and tradition of Thanksgiving? Why have we disregarded a holiday that promotes being thankful and spending time with one another? Why have we disregarded a holiday that has meant so much to us growing up, in place of the “more exciting” holidays of Halloween and Christmas? Thanksgiving has become “some Thursday” event, sandwiched in between Halloween and Christmas, where we pretty much just prepare for the next big event: Christmas. With Black Friday retail shopping beginning earlier every year and creeping in on the last remaining hours of Thanksgiving, it is hard to believe that we truly give Thanksgiving the fully opportunity of being its own holiday. If you look closely, you may find some Thanksgiving decorations or cards in your local convenience store, wedged between some Halloween candy and Christmas stocking stuffers, but it seems that the supply dwindles every year and that the enthusiasm for Thanksgiving goes along with it.
We should embrace Thanksgiving, not forget it. Thanksgiving is important as not only just one holiday or one day, but instead as an important contributor to the holiday theme of thankfulness. Does that fact that Thanksgiving resembles too much of our normal lifestyle, aka we are just essentially eating a meal together, make it less unique and less appealing to individuals? During Halloween, we dress up as something completely different than our normal self and unusually go from door to door to Trick-o-Treat and during Christmas, we stick a large tree in our living room and decorate it. These holidays present something different, something unique to our day to day lifestyle that I believe makes them more appealing to others. In addition, the fact that there is no gift giving during Thanksgiving removes the hype and preparation from the event. While there is candy on Halloween, chocolate eggs on Easter, presents on Christmas and Hanukkah, Thanksgiving lies at the unique situation where this not in fact this gift-giving hype. This is no way should take away from our attention and support of this November holiday.
So before you start taking out your Christmas stockings to hang and making your Christmas lists, think about the importance of Thanksgiving and all that you have to be thankful for in your life. Thanksgiving may not be the most glitzy or thrilling holiday, but it is an opportunity for us to reflect on our lives and to spend time with our families. Don’t let Thanksgiving be the forgotten holiday this holiday season, give it the time and attention it fully deserves.
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