With the weather becoming even colder and Halloween past us, the winter holidays are quickly approaching. Yet before then, we must discuss the hill that is Thanksgiving. While many students have an appreciation for the holiday solely for the break they receive, with this appreciation comes a hatred that can not be ignored. Many people are aware of the true nature of the history of Thanksgiving but are still hesitant to engage in traditional festivities. With that being said, there are certain things you can do if you want to celebrate something, but not the holiday itself.
1) Friends-giving
Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where the presence of seeing extended family is tethered to the assumption that politics will be a table topic. These sorts of conversations make many anxious and many look to find a replacement, which is what friends-giving is. Friends-giving is a celebration with friends instead of family for Thanksgiving. Many participate in the tradition in addition to celebrating with family because the opportunity is a great opportunity. Celebrating with friends when you are unable or unwilling to see your family is a great way to remind oneself of the importance of friends and how our friends are most of the time our chosen family. Spending time with your chosen family is a reminder of why they are, indeed, your chosen family.
2) Community Service
Another staple besides gathering around the table and eating is gratitude and being thankful. Many take that idea and their gratitude to help others and volunteer. There are many volunteering opportunities on and around Thanksgiving, mostly from churches and food banks, which can be a fun and enlightening experience. Many understand the joys of community service and volunteer work, and sometimes a holiday is a great excuse to give back to others who don’t have the simple things we have.
3) Native American & Indigenous Peoples research/service work
Many forget that the holiday is more often than not a day of mourning for Native American/Indigenous People (NAIP). As the holiday is a reminder of the oppression this group of people has gone through and continue to go through. Other people who are not Native American, many times, want to give back on Thanksgiving, but specifically to NAIP, so doing research on local tribes in your area and asking about volunteer opportunities or other ways to give back to that community is great! Being attentive and being an ally is a lifelong commitment, and doing your own research and gaining that knowledge is a great first step.
4) productive day
Even though the point of holidays is to take a break from your everyday life and to give yourself some TLC, sometimes, you don’t need to take advantage of the time to rest, but actually, to work. Homework, running errands, deep cleaning your home, organizing, decluttering, doing some reading, or any item on your to-do list that you’ve been pushing off for months.
5) decorate for winter holidays
Depending on your living situation, you could take this day to completely ignore it and put your focus on the winter holiday you personally celebrate (i.e. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, etc).
6) gratitude day
Even though the origins of Thanksgiving are rooted in genocide and White supremacy, most people use the day to think about how grateful they are, so you can lean into that aspect on this day. Making a list of things you’re grateful for (a gratitude list), or making a call to friends and family to show your appreciation for them is a great way to begin the day. You can also be thankful for food by cooking something using a new recipe or a recipe you’re familiar with. When all else fails, you can be thankful for yourself, your mind, and your body for all it does for you, so you celebrate how thankful you are by taking care of yourself. You can take care of your body with a bath/shower and some self-care. You can take care of your mind with rest, coloring, meditation, or something else that eases your mind.
7) early holiday shopping
I know it’s something that we tend to not want to discuss, but with the Winter holidays approaching and Thanksgiving being right before Black Friday, many brands have begun to have Black Friday sales a day early in order to get customers, so if you’re all out of plans and have some shopping to do, maybe taking advantage of the sales would be best for you. If the concept of actually shopping on Thanksgiving doesn’t sit right with you, or you’re not in a financial situation to do, so, you can also spend your time researching other sales online that you can access or you can make official lists for the people in your lives.