Each year when Halloween ends, it seems as if almost instantly everyone is taking out the Christmas lights and blasting ten different versions of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." While Christmas is a very big and exciting holiday, there is a very important holiday in between Halloween and Christmas if you have failed to notice... Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving seems to be incredibly underrated, so let me give you ten reasons to acknowledge the perfection that is Turkey day.

1. Food, food, oh and more food.

Not much explanation is needed here to start us off... but I want to think about the delicious foods of Thanksgiving so I'm gonna explain anyways. Turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, PIE, must I go on? The food just keeps on coming and, for some reason, you decided to wear a belt to your family dinner and you slowly realize this was a mistake as you loosen it under the table. It's fine. We've all been there. Just go for the leggings if possible or a loose fitting dress and then stuff your face with, well, all the stuffing your heart desires!

2. Family.

Okay so I'm sure many of you see this and get warm and fuzzy feelings, but others probably immediately think of how annoying cousin Jimmy is and how Grandpa means well but no you have no clue where you want to go to college and you wish he would stop asking. That's all fair. However, no matter how many or how few dinner guests you have, Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to get together and focus on loving each other and taking a break from their usual daily stress.

3. Football!

Whether you're watching it on TV but really just there for the pre-dinner snacks, or your cheering on your school as they face off against your rival town, there are many valid reasons that Football on Thanksgiving is enjoyable. It doesn't matter if you love it, hate it, or anything in between because on Thanksgiving in America; Football brings everyone together to yell simultaneously at our TV screens.

4. The Parade!

I honestly don't know why I love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade so much. Like when you think about it, it's just a bunch of big balloons stopping traffic. And yet, every year, I get so excited to watch. I guess it's just the thought that so many people are also excited, and that everyone there is just happy (and freezing) to be leaving their worries behind for the day to watch the streets of New York be filled with Peanuts characters and floats of performers.

5. Black. Friday.

The fact that we are expected to recover from our food-induced-comas fast enough to turn into sale-warriors is asking A LOT. Someone we manage to recharge and wake up and tear apart our local malls to get the "best deals of the year!" This has become a pretty big social event for a lot of people, as not everyone is so concerned about finding that best deal, but also just wanting to be a part of the early morning frenzy for some reason.

6. Reflection.

Going around the table and saying what your thankful for is a great place for reflection, but the holiday as a whole provides for some much-needed mindfulness. Thanksgiving makes it very clear that the current year is almost behind us, and it allows you to think back to where you were a year ago, and wonder if any of your goals have been achieved. You still have time to do something about them if you've let things slip... so go get em!

7. SLEEP.

Post-dinner naps on Thanksgiving are something that I genuinely look forward to every year. That warm feeling in your belly after eating probably more than you should is a perfect match for your bed, or couch, or even just a comfortable floor on Thanksgiving.

8. Leftovers.

The days (or week) after Thanksgiving is filled with more moments of feeling grateful; when you make the perfect leftover combo for the next several lunches and dinners (maybe even breakfasts' hey I'm not judging). Thanksgiving food is always good, no questions asked.

9. Thanksgiving episodes of TV shows.

So many hit TV shows have done Thanksgiving episodes- and for good reason! Whether it's How I Met Your Mother (RIP to the 9 seasons on Netflix... I'm not crying you are...), the Office, or, of course, a famous Friends episode, so many shows have done Thanksgiving episodes, simply because of the happy feelings they leave with their audience. Binge-watching your favorite Thanksgiving episodes will surely get you in the holiday spirit, and make you realize you should have thrown a Friendsgiving.

10. It being acceptable to start decorating for Christmas...

Okay, I'm sorry I couldn't help it. Christmas is pretty amazing. Thanksgiving is that first holiday of the "holiday season" and by the end of it, it basically tells us we can acceptably get a tree and listen to holiday music now...