My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Many people prefer a glittery holiday like Christmas or Halloween, but there is something about Thanksgiving that I love.
While I certainly enjoy Christmas and Halloween, as well as, to some degree, Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving is what I look forward to most.
Focus on Gratitude, Not Things
It’s harder and harder to reduce consumerism during the holiday season. The beautiful thing about Thanksgiving is that we have a chance to focus on gratitude. I love the recent movement by some retailers to remain closed on Thanksgiving. With Black Friday encroaching more and more on Thanksgiving, it’s nice to see some push-back.
The idea of Thanksgiving is that we offer our gratitude, rather than put our focus on things. We don’t (or shouldn’t, IMO) talk about all the things we want and all the stuff we wish we had. Instead, we focus on all that we already enjoy and recognize our blessings. I like this idea. I like the idea of enjoying time with family and sharing what we love most in life. So much of the time, what we love most in life has nothing to do with toys or trinkets. Or even electronics.
Family Togetherness
I’m blessed to have family nearby. There were years at a time where my ex and I hosted Thanksgiving in our home for the benefit of displaced siblings and cousins. I loved having family over. This year, my son and I are celebrating Thanksgiving with my parents for the first time in a long while. I’m excited to spend time with them, as well as my brother and his wife. It’s a great day for family time, games, and love. Even if we sit down to watch football, there’s something about that bond of being together and cheering for the same team that makes me feel good inside.
Sometimes, Thanksgiving is about friends and adopted family. No matter who you celebrate with, try to be with people you love and treasure — or even volunteer and make new friends with strangers. Thanksgiving is a great time to be with people and focus on your loved ones. It’s one of the reasons I love the holiday so much.
Food
Of course, we can’t overlook the food. One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the food. I love traditional favorites, like turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I love apple pie and fluffy dinner rolls. Many other people like sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Whatever you love about the food, there’s plenty of it — and most of it is comfort food. It’s the perfect complement to the family and friends you spend time with, and the gratitude you cultivate.
All of these are reasons that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I’m glad it’s coming up. It’s something I look forward to. It’s a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and it’s a time where you don’t have to worry about presents and things and media. And that makes it my favorite holiday of the year.
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