October 31: They did the Monster Mash. It was a graveyard smash.
November 1: “All I want for Christmas is you!”
Most people don’t see a problem with the above pairing of dates and song lyrics, but I do. I suppose I’m probably a minority in this–and that’s quite alright–but to me, when November hits, the first thing my mind jumps to isn’t Christmas, it’s Thanksgiving.
Now I respect anyone's decision to break out the Mariah Carey Christmas album at 12:01 a.m. on November 1, but that just isn’t me. I have nothing against Christmas, if I’m being quite honest it’s probably one of my absolute favorite times of year, but there’s so much more that Thanksgiving has to offer.
Yes, I get a bunch of presents around Christmas time, especially since my birthday is in early December, but I think sometimes we get lost in the gift-giving and receiving and don’t really get to appreciate the holiday season. We find ourselves utterly frustrated dealing with traffic, navigating through local shopping complexes, or trying to find a way to get from Grammie’s house to Grandpa Joe’s house in under 10 minutes when they’re 85 miles away from each other. Christmas has become another hustle and grind type of ordeal as opposed to a low-key, stress-free time where you can be around family and appreciate their company.
To me, that’s the great thing about Thanksgiving. Now, don’t get me wrong, Thanksgiving can be a pretty stressful time, too. I mean, if you’ve ever watched Monica try to throw any form of Thanksgiving meal on "Friends," you know just how intense Thanksgiving can be. There’s just something about sitting around a table full of food surrounded by your closest family and friends. Unlike with Christmas, no one is worried about who got the newest iPhone or the cutest sweater. It’s a time for you to catch up with family that you may have not seen all year and enjoy their presence.
I get that holiday season can be rough for some people and that not every family spends the holidays together. That’s probably what I love most about Thanksgiving, though. It’s the one time of year where we stop and remind ourselves of all the blessings we do have in our lives and be thankful for where we are. While it may not always seem like you have something to be thankful for, there’s always the fact that you are alive and that there is air in your lungs for a reason.
So, no offense to any of the gung-ho Christmas enthusiasts, but you won’t catch me blasting "Jingle Bells" until at least Black Friday.
Also, as warm and touching that may seem, another reason that I can’t stand listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving is the fact that I don’t want to listen to Taylor Swift’s "Last Christmas," for the next two months. Nothing against the songs, or the artists, the entire fact of the matter is just that I’ve listened to majority of these songs going on 20 years now, there’s only so many times you can hear the same lyrics to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” before you go insane.
In all, I think both holidays have their advantages and their warm memories of sitting around the fire with family and close friends, but there’s just something about Thanksgiving that warms my heart. Maybe it’s the fact that I feel like a lot of people have lost sight of the true meaning behind of the Christmas season and the birth of Christ, or maybe it’s the stress it brings upon majority of us. No matter what the reasoning is, to me Thanksgiving will always come before Christmas. Yes, I know that is true of the calendar but also in my mindset.
Whichever end of the spectrum you find yourself on is fine. Just don’t lose sight of the good times and memories that you can make during the holiday season. Be thankful for your family and friends and the company they provide. Be thankful for even the smallest of breaks from reality and slow down for two days to appreciate those around you and the little blessings in your life. Most importantly, enjoy this holiday season–including the delicious foods.
Too bad there aren’t really any Thanksgiving songs that we can blast, am I right?
