By Michaela Kirkpatrick
There is no such thing as a “perfect holiday” but there is such a thing as the best holiday, and it’s Thanksgiving. Now, this is a very big accusation to make, declaring that one holiday is indefinitely better than all the others, But this article will help people see the light and realize that Thanksgiving is in fact the best holiday EVER by giving undeniable facts and reasons on why Thanksgiving is far superior to all other holidays.
Reason 1: The Season
Thanksgiving may not be as popular as other holidays but Thanksgiving has something not all other holidays have… It takes place during the best season! There are many reasons why Fall is the best season out of all four. The first is that it is by far the most beautiful of all seasons. The colors in Fall are warm and inviting and create the perfect backdrop for such a feel-good holiday. The second reason is definitely the seasonal things that happen during fall. Pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavored things, pumpkin patches, and of course the start of school. All of these things, including the start of winter, just add to the jovial feeling surrounding Thanksgiving.
Reason 2: The Food
An iconic symbol of thanksgiving is the turkey, but the turkey was not always a big part of thanksgiving. During the first thanksgiving in 1621, it was predicted by historians that the Pilgrims and Native Americans ate venison as the main dish instead of turkey. But as Thanksgiving became a more popular holiday and eventually became a national holiday, venison became less accessible and very expensive. There are so many other foods that are served during thanksgiving, but the food itself isn’t part of what makes thanksgiving special. The act of everyone from your family contributing in some way to make the Thanksgiving feast is what’s so special. Being able to enjoy that hard labor with friends and family is the real part of what makes thanksgiving great.
Reason 3: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade may not be something people do anymore as a family, or that they’ve ever done, but the parade just adds to the festivities going on around thanksgiving. As a kid watching a procession of your favorite cartoon characters, beautiful floats, and amazing dancers was a great way to start Thanksgiving day, regardless of if you see it in person or on the TV. The parade first aired on NBC in 1924. During that year Macy’s president, Herbert Strauss, oversaw and organized the 6-mile-long parade in New York City. The first parade had floats, giant balloons of cartoon characters, and animals like the parade now. But the first parade was nearly three times longer than it is now, the parade is only 2.6 miles long currently.
Reason 4: Football
It’s traditional, in the US, the Detroit Lions always play American football on Thanksgiving. Similar to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, watching football on Thanksgiving may not be for everyone, you may not even watch football any other time. But regardless, many families sit down together and watch football. The tradition of the Lions playing on Thanksgiving, dates all the way back to 1934, when the Lions defeated the reigning world champions, the Chicago Bears, on Thanksgiving day. Even though the Lions don’t always win, they still play every Thanksgiving.
Reason 5: Family
By far the most important part of any holiday is the people you spend it with. Spending time with friends and family is what holidays are all about, but Thanksgiving is the only holiday that is completely centered around family and friends. In all of the reasons that were mentioned previously family was the main focus. On Thanksgiving, people are usually always around others, baking and cooking with them, watching sports games and parades with them, and those are only the popular traditions. There are many others that are celebrated only in certain communities or families.
Even with all of the sports, parades, foods, and other activities that happen around Thanksgiving, the most important part of Thanksgiving is giving thanks. The name Thanksgiving means “to give thanks”, and it’s the only holiday that calls people who celebrate it to look at their own actions and the things that they have in their lives that they may take for granted. Above all else, that is the main reason why Thanksgiving is the best holiday.
Sources
familylawsolutionsmn.com/before-you-go-to-family-court/
istockphoto.com/photo/falling-autumn-leaves-before-sunset-gm1176602671-328115514
HB IN RETROSPECT 