Thanksgiving. Remember that holiday? The one time of year where it is socially acceptable to eat your body weight? The one time of year where we come to appreciate our families and the people in our lives? It is undoubtedly that year after you Thanksgiving becomes more disregarded. Before we are able to get into the fall spirit, enjoy the leaves changing colors, and soak in the new season, we are impatiently counting down the days until Christmas and listening to Jingle Bells on the radio every time we get in the car. This year, it is important to recognize the significance of Thanksgiving. This holiday unites us as a country, and brings us closer to long-lost family and friends. Although we tend to become blinded by the true value in this, it is important to be thankful and give back. Far too often we become so consumed in our everyday lives that we forget to appreciate the little things. This Thanksgiving, take a second to soak in all the day has to offer.
It is a day dedicated to eating...why WOULDN'T you want to take advantage of this?!
Before we are so quick to decking the halls, take a minute to appreciate the fact that Thanksgiving is literally dedicated to eating as much stuffing and mashed potatoes as you wish without being judged. Why are we so quick to overlook an entire day of eating a home-cooked gourmet meal? If you are in college, you are probably just as confused as I am about this!
It is a way to catch up with distant friends and family
Sure, not seeing family and friends for a long time can cause an awkward encounter when your mom invites them over years later for Thanksgiving. However, once you get through the pinching cheeks, and the "last time I saw you-you were only this tall!" remarks, you can genuinely start catching up with people you haven't seen in a while. This is a great opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and learn about what has been going on in each other's lives.
You don't have to start worrying about gift exchanges....just yet
While we all tend to immediately jump into the Christmas holiday on November 1st, the great thing about Thanksgiving is that we don't have to start worrying about our horrible gift wrapping skills, what to get our family and friends, and where we are going to come up with the money to do so just yet. Thanksgiving is a time to relax, enjoy the company around us, and take a break from school and the many other worries we come across in our lives.
There is rarely a Thanksgiving "dress code"
Contrary to Christmas and Christmas Eve, this holiday allows for a wide range of outfits. You can wear jeans, leggings, sweatpants (although maybe not the best option) or even a dress or skirt. Whatever you feel to wear this day, is probably acceptable. You want to walk down into your kitchen in sweats and a baggy sweatshirt? Sure! You want to wear heels and a dress to impress your guests? That's okay too!
You can do your good deed of the day and do a simple job of cleaning the dishes to put a smile on your mother's face
If you are a college student reading this right now, you know your parents love nothing more than seeing you at every opportunity they get. Rather than our parents constantly clinging on to us, we can cling on to our fabulous mother's and thank them for all they have done to make this Thanksgiving one of the best. After all, prior to devouring every last ounce of food, our mom's are usually the ones that wake up and don't stop cooking until evening. The least we can do is help out afterwards, right?
