Why Thanksgiving is My Favorite Holiday

For as long as I can remember, I have loved Thanksgiving. It is just a feel-good holiday where everyone can relax and enjoy themselves. There is no pressure of giving and receiving gifts, and everyone is just happy to be together. It is such a positive and peaceful holiday without any real expectations. Here are some of the key reasons why this is my absolute favorite holiday.

FAMILY

My grandma lives in Florida, so I rarely get to see her throughout the year. Thanksgiving is the one time of the year that all of my cousins, aunts and uncles are guaranteed to see her and be together. We cherish these moments because they are fleeting. In these moments, we can all get together we can have fun without any expectations. Nobody has to spend money on gifts to show love and appreciation because just being together does the trick. It is truly a time for being thankful for the loving support system that I am lucky to have around me.

Image Courtesy of my Dad

FOOD

There is no better food than comfort food. Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole and a few family specialties solidify this as my favorite time of year. The food effectively puts me into a food coma every year, but I never shy away from dessert afterward. The pumpkin and apple pie is enough to make me stuff myself beyond comfort. While there is nothing like sharing a huge homemade meal with the people you love, the leftovers afterward are a very close second. Heating up all of the leftover food to relive the joyous memories of the actual meal bring nostalgia and happiness. Because I am from a big Italian family, we always make WAY too much food so the leftovers are plentiful. Taking some food back to Philly is like taking the feeling of family with me after the holiday is over. 

Image Courtesy of Los Angeles Magazine

FALL WEATHER

My absolute favorite season is fall, so having a big family get together in the best time of year just makes it that much more enjoyable. The festivities can still be held indoors and outdoors (if it is not a freak Fall day in which it snows) and my family often builds a fire to huddle around after dinner. Fall outfits are often stylish and comfy, which is helpful when I am stuffing my face full of delicious, homemade food.

Image Courtesy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac

BREAK

Thanksgiving always comes at the perfect time of year. By this time, things start getting intense in school, and with the combination of the time change and the sun setting so early, a break is an absolute necessity. There is no better way to relax and take your mind off of constant work than to get together with the people that you love to celebrate each other and eat good food. We all need a break every once in a while for the sake of our mental health. 

Image Courtesy of Goldbelly 

There is no better way to celebrate life than to eat good food in good weather with good company in a relaxing environment. Thanksgiving provides all of those things and so much more to me. While the true history between the Native Americans and the pilgrims may be tragic and hegemonic, I still enjoy this day while recognizing the atrocities of this colonization. It is so important to stop and reflect on the things that make this life worth living and how we can all improve ourselves over time. This holiday reminds us of that, even if it’s not exactly what we learned in school. 

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