Growing up, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. There's great food and you get to spend quality time with your friends and family. Here are eight reasons why everyone should love Thanksgiving this year!

1. Guilt-free eating

This holiday is devoted to cooking and eating all kinds of delicious foods. And this is the one time all year where it's completely acceptable (and encouraged) to stuff your face with as many Thanksgiving delicacies as possible. That includes mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and of course, Grandma's famous stuffing.

2. Spending time with friends and family

Being able to spend quality time with all of the friends and family you haven't seen in a while is definitely one of the best things about this holiday. It's fun to catch up with everyone, even if that means having to answer a million questions about your personal life. "No, I don't have a boyfriend, Aunt Susan."

3. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Even if you're way past the age where a giant Elmo balloon excites you, the Macy's Parade definitely gets everyone into the holiday spirit. It's a fun, relaxing way to start off Thanksgiving Day. And honestly, the floats are really impressive, no matter how old you are.

4. Football

Snuggling up on the couch after that big Thanksgiving Day meal and watching some football is a longstanding tradition in my household. But there's a 100 percent chance that everyone will end up asleep in a food coma by halftime.

5. Black Friday and Cyber Monday

You can get a head start on holiday shopping by taking advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You may have to wake up at 4 a.m. or deal with a slow Internet connection, but the great deals you'll get will make it all worth it.

6. Leftovers

Eating leftover turkey and stuffing for a week straight might seem unappealing, but in my opinion, it's just a great excuse to extend the holiday for a little bit longer. Also, who doesn't love sandwiches with leftover Thanksgiving turkey?

7. Thankfulness

This is a time for us to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. We often don't stop to think about all of the amazing things in our lives that we're grateful for, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.

8. Christmas is almost here

After Thanksgiving, there are only 27 more days until Christmas!! But who's counting, right?