Don't Skip Thanksgiving

Every year it feels like Thanksgiving is appreciated less and less.

Halloween has gotten so popular that it seems to be August-October, and then November 1st happens and BAM it's Christmastime! Stores transform to green and red, the music being played in public is Christmas music, and all the commercials on TV are for Black Friday deals.

Don't get me wrong.... I love Christmas! But Thanksgiving often gets skipped over and isn't appreciated for what it is.

The first Thanksgiving was in November 1621. It was a feast between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag that lasted several days. This feast was a celebration of having a successful first harvest, and to thank the Wampanoag for their help in teaching the pilgrims how to grow food, fish, and forage. The pilgrims gave thanks for all they had despite all the challenges, disease, and death they saw that first year. They were grateful for the help of the Wampanoag and for the food they were able to harvest. For days they celebrated life, family, and new friends.

Today, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family. It's usually celebrated for just one day, resulting in a huge feast. These things we have in common with the first Thanksgiving. Some families have each member say something they are thankful for. Some families say Grace. Some families take the time to pause and appreciate life.

I wish we would put more emphasis on this. Thanksgiving is the only holiday that is solely about giving thanks. It's meant to be a time (more than 1 day) to be grateful and to slow down. Christmastime is face paced, full of events, and unfortunately so monetized now that it takes on the complete opposite meaning of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what we currently have. It's about really realizing what is important and what we hold near to our heart. Then Christmas becomes a "I want all of these luxurious things, this item would make my life better, and I feel societal pressure to buy presents for everybody I know". At least in America, Christmas has become such a materialistic holiday. For some it still holds a religious meaning, but it seems that most people only view it for gift giving/receiving. Giving gifts to others is such a nice gesture, but it seems like an obligation now instead of something we really want to do for others. This is why Thanksgiving is so special. It's simply about sharing love for people and things and being happy for what you already have.

So don't skip over Thanksgiving. From November 1st through Thanksgiving, really focus on being grateful and thankful for everything currently in your life. Express that love to others as genuinely as you can. Sure, prepare for Christmas by making plans and looking out for meaningful gifts for others, but don't turn your life into full Christmas mode before Thanksgiving is over.