Thanksgiving is next week, which means that it's almost time to start enjoying the things that make Thanksgiving great! Thanksgiving is one of the most overlooked holidays. This may have to do with the fact that it's right next to Christmas, which is one of the biggest holidays of the year.

However, there are a lot of great things about Thanksgiving that people seem to forget. Here are eight things that make Thanksgiving a holiday that's almost as great as Halloween and Christmas.

1. Having an excuse to stuff yourself with food

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I don't know about you, but the idea of having an excuse to eat tons of food is worth it to me! Sure, there are other holidays where there is food served. However, it's never to the same extent as Thanksgiving, at least in my family. Thanksgiving is a holiday designated specifically for eating. And if you have a large family that loves to go all out for Thanksgiving like mine, then Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays besides Halloween and Christmas!

2. Free food

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If you're a college student, this is one of the best things about Thanksgiving! If you live in an apartment on campus, then you're used to going days with seeing how long you can go without going to the grocery store. You're also used to constantly finding ways to save money on food. However, with Thanksgiving, it's the one chance you get where you can have free food from your family members. Not to mention you aren't required to cook the meal either. Being in college makes you more appreciative of Thanksgiving than in any recent years.

3. Getting together with family members

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Another great part of Thanksgiving is that it gives you a chance to meet up with your relatives whom you probably haven't seen in a while. If your family is out of state, this especially holds true. When you're in college and living on campus, you'll go months without seeing a few of your relatives. Thanksgiving gives you a chance to reunite and catch up with any family members you may have missed during the semester! The one negative part of this is that you have to play 20 questions with your relatives about what you've been doing over the semester and what's changed, which can be a pain.

4. All of the different casseroles and pies 

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Another great thing about Thanksgiving is that there are tons of different pies and casseroles to choose from! If you're like me and love casseroles, this is the only time of year where you can enjoy eating them! Whether you love broccoli cheddar casserole or sweet potato casserole, Thanksgiving is the one time of year where you can have them all. In addition, if you love eating pie, Thanksgiving is the one time of year when you can try all different types of pie. It's what makes Thanksgiving one of the best holidays of the year!

5. The opportunity to try new recipes

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If you love to cook, then this is probably something you enjoy! The best part about Thanksgiving is that it offers tons of different recipes and allows you to experiment with different ideas. Thanksgiving gives you a chance to try out all different new types of recipes! Just make sure that you practice cooking the recipe a few days before Thanksgiving to avoid any embarrassment or stress if it doesn't turn out well.

6. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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If you're like me and love to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then you probably love Thanksgiving! As soon as it's 9 a.m., I find myself racing down the stairs in my pajamas to turn on the TV. Macy's is known for its extravagant parade which it hosts every Thanksgiving! It features Christmas music along with Thanksgiving floats and famous performers. It's one thing that I always look forward to watching on Thanksgiving!

7. Getting a short break from school

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Thanksgiving Break may not be as long as Winter Break, but it does at least give you a rest before finals week. If you're stressing about the end of the semester, the great part about Thanksgiving is that it gives you a little bit of relief before the semester ends! So, even though three or four days may not sound like much, it really does help in the end when you find yourself packed with assignments or exams.

8. Being able to reflect on everything that you're grateful for

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The last best thing about Thanksgiving is that it gives you a chance to reflect on anything that you should be grateful for. It's hard to really have the time to think about all of the things that you are grateful to have in your life, especially when you may feel low at the moment. Whether it's because of grades or stress, we forget that we have a lot of things to be thankful for. Therefore, Thanksgiving gives you time to reflect on the things you have in life rather than what you don't have.

As you can see, Thanksgiving has a lot of great things about it that make it a fun holiday to celebrate! A lot of people may be looking forward to Christmas and forget about Thanksgiving. However, there are so many things to enjoy about Thanksgiving that are easily overlooked! Thanksgiving may not be as grand as Christmas, however, it's still a great holiday that deserves to be appreciated.