a very short treatise on Thanksgiving

I've gone over this before 10 billion times, but I'll repeat:

Most holidays are unnecessary, especially the ones where you're supposed to show your appreciation to someone (i.e. Valentines, Mothers' Day, etc.). Why can't you show your love every day or at least not on a day when everyone else in the world expects it of you? I'm not religious at all, so those are out. Federal holidays? I don't really "celebrate" them so much as "have them off from work," and even then, only sometimes.

Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays I'll actually celebrate, the others being Halloween and Flag Day (and I don't care about the "flag" in Flag Day). In some respects, yes, you should be thankful for what you have every single day, that goes with my holiday philosophy (holosophy). But on the other hand, it is nice to see everyone all being thankful at the same time. People leave town to go visit their families, or they stay in town to hang with their friends. All at once, people express their sentiments via photos or short notes or any one of a number of other ways that seem somehow more special because of the holiday.

Even if you aren't following tradition by watching the Macy's Day Parade*, eating turkey, and then falling asleep to football, you can still enjoy your day. Normally I have a tofurkey (Shut up, they taste good. Veggies unite!) but one T-giving a few years back I only had wine and pie. Sure, we had so much wine pie that we forgot to eat dinner, but we were hanging with friends and it was a really good time. I haven't spent a T-giving with my family in years because it costs so much to travel out there, but other people have welcomed me into their home with open arms.

That is what the holiday is about. Not only be thankful for what you have (cliche alert!) but also what you've had in the past to make you happy, and what lies in the future. That's right, be thankful for memories and possibilities. People in other countries, you do it too. You don't need a national holiday that celebrates the shady beginnings of your country in order to do a little reflection.

So, in short, have a great day everyone.


(click to make it bigger)




*Hell no I'm not watching the parade. I don't watch tv at all, and I'm sure as heck not going down there in person!