We all know of the tragic beginning of the Thanksgiving tradition, the betrayal of the Native Americans at the hand of the pilgrims masked by the enjoyment of a hearty meal. But there’s a specific part of how we celebrate Thanksgiving today that always rubs me the wrong way.Â
Thanksgiving in the modern age is the beginning of the holiday season, marking the beginning of a festive, familial, month. What’s interesting to me about this is the focus on family within these times. There is an unignorable sense of isolation within this emphasis on family, one which, I can’t help but wonder if stems from the idea of isolating oneself from the unfamiliar. Automatically, my mind seems to associate this phenomenon with the origins of Thanksgiving, the survival of some at the cost of others. Those without strong familial relations seem to suffer at these festivities, with the holiday season giving me the same energy as a high school cafeteria and a lost lonely student looking for a home. Our society today has moved away from needing to work in groups for survival, and many individuals flourish as a singular entity, until these holiday seasons, where returning to one’s home base, their family, leaves a tremendous and amount of unnecessary pressure for these lonesome souls.Â
I think, as a whole, it seems necessary to de-traditionalize Thanksgiving, as the social structure that created this holiday no longer exists, it would make sense to adapt it to modernity, emphasizing relaxation and enjoyment of these comfy colder months for everyone. Tradition, at least in this sense, could be seen as a deficit for our culture. Moving our emphasis on the enjoyment of our time off as opposed to slaving in the kitchen for hours to make the perfect dinner or forcing oneself to reconnect to people that they’re better off without in the name of “togetherness” just seems unnecessary. People know what brings them joy, so by taking the pressure off tradition and focusing on that joy, we could really make a positive impact on the otherwise dark undertones that surround the holiday season.