I suppose it would be prudent to explain how I have come to this conclusion. In the first place, there is the food aspect of this wonderful holiday. For those traditionalists out there, this means turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, peas, stuffing — the real deal. However, there are no limits to what one can have for Thanksgiving dinner. With vegetarians, vegans and various international influences infiltrating the kitchen, it is possible to have manicotti, stir fry or “tofurkey” among other unique dishes on the dinner table. Don’t even get me started on desserts — endless assortments of pies, cookies and cakes test table weight limits and widen waistlines as they tempt already stuffed stomachs to squeeze in a bit more delicious delight. The food that comes along with Thanksgiving is, undeniably, heavenly.
Those of you reading this article are probably thinking, “Okay, so this girl is a gluttonous, food-crazed and eating-obsessive freak.” Admittedly, that may be true to a small degree, but I do think there are many other aspects of Thanksgiving worth appreciating. For example, being thankful. We, as students provided with incredible opportunities and resources at such an extraordinary institution, especially have a lot to be grateful for, as do many people in general. Thanksgiving is a nice way for everyone to step back, look at what they have, and appreciate those things which otherwise they may take for granted, including home, education, friends and family.
Speaking of family, this is my next reason for Thanksgiving’s greatness. Thanksgiving is a perfect excuse to see those random cousins you never hear from, to tease your crazy, cat-obsessed uncle from the boonies or to visit with your sweet, half-deaf grandparents for an afternoon. It is also a great opportunity to be kind to those who cannot visit their own families; perhaps you invite your roommate who lives halfway around the world to come home with you and enjoy meeting your relatives, or you invite that lonely church member to become part of the family for the day. Any way you look at it, this idea of gathering friends and family together for a feast sounds like a great idea to me (unless of course your family is prone to fights, though that could make for an entertaining afternoon — can anyone say food fight?).
Those pessimists out there may be grumbling to themselves, saying, what about all the downsides to Thanksgiving? The great big mess in the kitchen after the meal, the lingering relatives that never leave, the drowsiness turkey always seems to bring and the full-to-bursting feeling your stomach experiences. What about those?
To that I say, even those so-called “downsides” are positive parts of the Thanksgiving experience. Big mess? It takes about 10 minutes to clean up when everybody pitches in, which encourages cooperation and is also fun — those soap suds in the sink are awfully fun to fight with. The relatives that hang around? Take out the Pictionary box and watch them embarrass themselves as they create horrendous drawings and get in serious arguments over who guessed what the scribbled “drawings” were first. Turkey-induced drowsiness? Take a walk — the exercise is good for everyone, and if that’s not an option, then a nap is a fantastic second choice. Finally, what about the fit-to-burst stomach? Come on people — that’s an excellent indicator of a good meal, and no one can complain about that (although I must say it would be a tragedy, indeed, if one were too full to eat dessert).
All in all, there are many excellent reasons that Thanksgiving is the best holiday. True, there are no presents, sappy heart-shaped cards, fireworks or egg hunts, but there are the most important components (at least in my mind) of a holiday: friends, family, appreciation and good food. Everyone can admit that Thanksgiving provides these in abundance.