Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude, but it’s also so much more, not the least of which is food.
Oh my goodness, is there food! It is the start of the food season, also known as the holidays, where eating is akin to breathing and a variety of homemade cookies somehow become a staple in everyone’s pantry.
“Here, enjoy another spritz tree!” Thanksgiving used to be the start of the whole holiday season, but we all know that date has been moved up significantly. I’m not one to argue against early celebrations. I think every day should be one. But starting the holidays on July 5 seems a bit overkill.
Let’s at least give back-to-school and Halloween their due process, shall we?
I digress. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. It is honestly one of my favorite holidays, but it does have its upsides and downsides.
An upside: Gratitude. We all need more of it in our lives. Having a day dedicated to simply being thankful is genius.
A downside: You’ve got to eat the huge meal around noon because that’s how Aunt Florence has always done it, and who wants to challenge tradition?
An upside: A traditional green bean casserole. Stuffing. Sweet potatoes. Mashed potatoes and gravy. All without counting calories.
A downside: Turkey contains tryptophan and that makes you sleepy after a big meal The upside: An afternoon nap never felt so good. An upside: Thanksgiving day itself is punctuated by football games - or Hallmark movies, depending on the makeup of your household. Either are good because they put you in the mood for holiday festivities..
A downside: You often have to spend the day with extended family and sometimes not everyone enjoys or likes their passive aggressive Great Aunt Gertrude or flatulent Uncle Frank.
An upside: Dessert. You’re too full but you eat it anyway. A downside: Dessert. You’re too full but you eat it anyway. An upside: Black Friday provides bargain opportunities galore! A downside: Black Friday takes you away from family - the likes of Great Aunt Gertrude, Uncle Frank and Aunt Florence – and puts your focus on the latest greatest Amazon deals (which none of us really needs anyway.)
An upside: Leftovers! It’s a week when you feast on turkey on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. By Sunday you’re out of green beans, but there’s still stuffing. (Does that stuff self-replicate in the fridge?)
A downside: There is no downside to leftovers, unless you count the cranberry sauce, which might last until next July, if you can’t find a good and creative use for it.
An upside: Thanksgiving is about spending time with people you love eating homemade comfort food.
A downside: The day only comes around once a year. Thanksgiving originated in 1621 as a way to give thanks for blessings, which included a successful harvest. President Lincoln declared it a national holiday in 1863 to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November.
Why he chose Thursday, I’m not sure. But it does give us one more upside. Thanksgiving becomes the one holiday that falls on a Thursday and is followed each year by three consecutive Sundays. Or at least it feels that way.
Am I the only one? Enjoy. Practice gratitude. Have that extra piece of pie. Gobble, gobble.
Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.
