Hard to believe that it is still November, given that every department store, fast-food restaurant, and street sign screams that it is the middle of the Christmas season. As an end-of-November baby, my birthday used to coincide only with the holiday of thanks, but for the past few years, I have felt like my birthday is shared more with Christmas! Many people feel like Thanksgiving is completely forgettable and choose to chase after Christmas as soon as Halloween ends, but Thanksgiving is a lovely holiday that deserves more attention and care!
LESS STRESSFUL HOLIDAY
No one could ever argue that Christmas is not a stressful holiday. Between work and school deadlines, the financial stress of spending money on gifts for family and friends, and the pressures of having family in town and at each other’s throats, Christmas is not the time of peace that it markets. Rather than spending two months stressed about Christmas, Thanksgiving gives November a little breather from stress before December. There is no need to buy an excessive number of gifts, finals are not here yet, and family is only here for one day! Thanksgiving truly is a peaceful holiday of cooking and family.
FOCUS OF THANKSGIVING
The purpose of Christmas has gotten a bit jumbled in recent years. To many people, it is a religious celebration of a baby born in Bethlehem, while for others, it is just a time for family and friends to pretend Santa is flying around the world for their children. Department stores market Christmas so heavily that it can feel like a massive commercial holiday meant to sell toys and decorations. Thanksgiving has a much clearer purpose. Regardless of the messy history behind it, Thanksgiving has become a holiday just to be thankful for our lives. People do not argue about the purpose of the day of Thanksgiving, which is very refreshing compared to the controversies of Christmas. Christmas has gotten more self-absorbed with the longer season it gets and can feel quite draining and disheartening by the New Year. An entire day of thanks revives the spirit and reminds us all that we are lucky in our everyday lives, something unique to Thanksgiving and no other holiday.
BETTER FOOD
This is probably the most controversial take of this bunch, but I will say it: Thanksgiving has better food than Christmas. Christmas revolves around sweets, and while Christmas dinner is a delicious array of ham and sauces, Thanksgiving’s reputation revolves around its food. Turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and pumpkin pie are often a centerpiece of the day. Just by having a reputation for delicious food, Thanksgiving’s food outranks Christmas.
MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade has been a tradition in my house since before I was born. My mom just plays it in the living room while she makes Thanksgiving dinner. It does not require intense viewing attention to enjoy it. The floats get more creative every year, and there are always musical performances by famous bands and new Broadway shows. It is always a spectacle to watch the parade, which is a unique Thanksgiving-only event, setting this holiday apart from the rest.
THANKSGIVING MAKES CHRISTMAS MORE SPECIAL
Christmas has creeped into more and more of November for the last decade, and one of the main critiques is that this dilutes the meaning of Christmas. Having a month to celebrate Christmas makes it more special because it is so short a time. However, when Christmas is nearly two months long, one month which has not even reached winter yet, it loses its specialness. Thanksgiving gave Christmas a clear starting date and kept it contained, which made the holiday more special.
Thanksgiving is my personal favorite holiday, and I get a little sadder every year when it is erased in favor of an early Christmas. Thanksgiving is a celebration of family and friends that forces us all to slow down and take a moment to be thankful for our lives, something that even Christmas does not do. Thanksgiving deserves to keep its spot on the holiday calendar and in our yearly schedules.