This blog was originally done in November 2010, some 15 years ago. It was well-received and remembered…so here it is…refreshed a bit…again. Please enjoy. 

It’s official, in my mind at least…Thanksgiving is our best holiday.

This in no way diminishes my love of Christmas, Easter, Independence Day, birthdays…but…Thanksgiving is it for me.

I have my reasons: 

  1. The gathering of family and friends in what really begins what we all have come to call the “holiday season”. 
  2. The holiday is always the same Thursday in November and since it’s always a Thursday, it often sets up a four-day break for many. 
  3. There are no gifts to buy. Oh, maybe, you might need to get a pie or something to bring to wherever the feast is being held, but no gift frenzy to deal with at all. 
  4. Ah, the feast, turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberries…terrific! 
  5. Football, while not unique to Thanksgiving , is everywhere…all day. 
  6. The weather, generally, is still okay. It’s in the “almost winter” category…Usually. 
  7. Christmas decorations begin to go up. Before Thanksgivng, Christmas decorations belong in storage. 
  8. If you get the four-day weekend, the last three days are often ‘open”…unless you get the urge to go shopping. 
  9. Shopping…is not one of my reasons for liking the holiday although I do like to buy Christmas gifts. 
  10. I believe in the basic reason of giving thanks…to God, to each other, to the greater world. 

On that last point…if you are reading this and you agree with me on thankfulness…then, please act upon that feeling. Donate to a food pantry, a homeless shelter, serve the needy, make sure that people are not alone on the holiday. In any of these ways and others you will think of you will be making Thanksgiving an even more special holiday than it already is…my favorite for sure.