Thanksgiving is in a tough spot as a holiday. On the one side, it has to contend with that avatar of mischief and sweets, Halloween, and on the other the unstoppable juggernaut of holiday cheer that is Christmas. Stuck between these two behemoths, Thanksgiving is relegated to more of an afterthought, a pause between two more-loved holidays. But even this status isn’t safe as the start of Christmas creeps earlier and earlier every year. It has now reached the point that the Christmas decorations are going up almost the day after Halloween.

There is also the fact that Thanksgiving has a bit of an image problem. To modern sensibilities, the story of the first Thanksgiving - of Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together to celebrate a successful harvest - seems at least disingenuous if not outright cruel when compared to the history of white-native relations. Indeed, this troublesome history has brought it under increasing scrutiny and led to allegations that it is an instrument of oppression and erasure. Whether or not these claims are true it is not my place to say, however, they underscore the point that Thanksgiving has a declining cultural currency.

So what is to be done? Is Thanksgiving to be left to slowly erode away in the face of its more popular brethren? Or is it to be abolished in the name of tolerance and inclusivity?

I believe abolishment or the slow rot of irrelevance is an ignoble end for such a longstanding holiday. Certainly, Thanksgiving is a troubled holiday, but it is one that is not beyond saving and possesses certain admirable traits that ought to be preserved and celebrated. Instead what I propose is that the holiday is reoriented in its purpose and its vision.

I believe that the virtues a society exalts and by extension devotes holidays toward are a firm indicator as to the moral character of that society. In the United States, we have dedicated holidays to the virtues of patriotism, sacrifice, giving, and the spirit of fun. In this vein, it makes perfect sense to devote a holiday to the virtue of gratitude. In a world increasingly dominated by ego, where the self is exalted as supreme above all and the unending desire for more is shoved down society’s throat regularly, a respite would be welcome. A single holiday may not stem the tide of consumerism, but it is a start, a place where the ideals of gratitude and humility have a chance to live and influence.

Furthermore, the imagery around Thanksgiving must change if it is to regain relevance. The story of Pilgrims and Indians no longer has cultural currency and needs to go. In its place, a more holistic vision is needed, that emphasizes the history of the holiday from its proclamation under Lincoln to its status as an American family tradition. Certain cultural conservatives will object to this revision of the holiday as so much political correctness and erasure of tradition.

However, the fact is that holidays have always changed to better reflect the times. Halloween has become almost unrecognizable from itself a century ago and the entire history of Christmas is one of changing traditions and symbols across its millennia. By that measure, replacing Pilgrims and Indians with a Rockwell-esque family gathered together in gratitude is no great stretch.

A holiday in which we eat with friends and family to give thanks for those things we individually cherish and value sounds like something we should all be able to support. By focusing on the ideal of gratitude, and reworking the images of Thanksgiving to become more diverse and inclusive, we transform it into a representation of modern American values.