Why is it that after Halloween, we are so quick to jump to winter holiday festivities, before embracing one of the sweetest, genuine holidays first?
Simply, because we allow and create Thanksgiving to be an underappreciated holiday.
So let's take a step back for a moment and truly capture Thanksgiving and the beauty it beholds.
Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday weekend of the year.
According to Forbes research on the most traveled holiday, they came to the conclusion that Thanksgiving takes the prize with a rough estimate of 44 million people traveling over Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This isn't a coincidence. Through this data, it is revealed that so many use this holiday as a time to connect with loved ones they don't see often, and go down memory lane, reminiscing on the good ol' times. In my own life, my whole mom's side of the family always gets together, sometimes even with some member of my dad's side too. It is always so great to catch up, hear the fun stories of everyone's lives, and stuff our bellies with good food. Oh, and let's not forget, post-thanksgiving dinner is always a good time to get out those ads and start preparing for the next morning of Black Friday shopping.
Thanksgiving is a holiday for EVERYONE.
Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, along with so many more that I am forgetting, are all religion-affiliated holidays. Many kids growing up aren't even allowed to celebrate Halloween because of some of its origins and their family and religious background. Thanksgiving; however, is a holiday that everyone can come together for. It's not exclusive and in fact, it's a holiday that encourages humble hearts and inclusiveness that everyone gets to gather around the table for.
Thanksgiving reminds us what it's like to have grateful hearts.
The origins of Thanksgiving comes from The First Thanksgiving, from the colonists of Plymouth as they gave thanks for their survival of their long journey. These ideas that were implemented in 1621, are still continued today as we reflect on all that we are thankful for. Back in 1621, the colonists gave thanks to God [the Christian God]; however, many multicultural people continue this tradition in their own ways, continuing the main sentiment of having and pursuing a grateful heart. It is the time where we can look back and see all that is happening in our lives, good and bad, and be thankful on how it all works out for a purpose. It is the time where we can show gratitude for the simple things, food, water, shelter, education, family and friends.
Thanksgiving is underappreciated, overlooked, and not given enough credit, when it is truthfully the holiday that reminds us of gratitude and joy, and the holiday that challenges us to live out a grateful heart every day of our lives.