Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. You might think it's because of the food. And you would be correct. However, there are plenty of other reasons why I love Thanksgiving as well.

Food

The food is obviously one of the greatest aspects of Thanksgiving. My personal favorite food item is the star of the show, the turkey. However, I love much of the other food as well. The mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, and the stuffing are also some of my favorite foods. Due to my Indian heritage, there is also no shortage of Indian food as well. There is always a good mix of Indian and Western food at any Desi Thanksgiving party. As someone who enjoys both Indian and Western food, the cultural blending is one of my favorite gustatory experiences every year.

Football

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without sitting around the couch with our food, watching the football game. I already love watching football; being able to watch it while eating a delicious turkey dinner is just a major plus. I love sitting on the couch with everyone and watching the game. Watching the game just fills me with energy as I get more lethargic from the copious amount of food I am eating.

Family and Friends

A major component of celebrating Thanksgiving is celebrating it with friends and family. And that goes beyond just watching the football game. For me at least, Thanksgivings are spent almost entirely among family friends, as a lot of our families are in India. I love sitting with my friends at the table, eating the delicious food and just discussing random stuff.

Giving Thanks

And, of course, the most important part of Thanksgiving: giving thanks. After all, that's what the holiday is named for. For me, it is important to give thanks for what I have. It is important for me to realize how truly lucky I am to have the life that I do. I like to take the time of self-reflection, to realize what I have and to see whether or not I am actually making good use of it. It is the most important to me because I can use my realizations to better myself as a person.

I eagerly await Thanksgiving this year, so I can enjoy all of these experiences yet again and I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving.