Thanksgiving: The BEST American Holiday
 

This is a concept that's been rattling around in my brain for some time. When you break down the holidays, look closely at their commercialism as well as their meaning, and viewed in light of how they are celebrated, Thanksgiving is a standout of a holiday.

I'm not saying it's my favorite, just that, as holidays go, it's probably the best one.

Other holidays have been successfully (to varying degrees) stripped of their meaning or solemn celebration by the engine of commerce. Thanksgiving, however, still seems to retain its original meaning and means of celebration. We celebrate Thanksgiving by gathering together with family, sharing a meal, and giving thanks for the good things we've been given in the past year. It is one of the most widely celebrated holidays, being as it is unbound by religious differences. And it is the most consistently celebrated: northeastern families, southern families, western...doesn't matter. In the end, it is still about getting together and sharing a lavish meal.

Where Christmas has become mostly about buying and receiving gifts, Halloween has been stripped of its spookiness in favor of smiling witches and hoardes of candy. Thanksgiving, despite its football games and talk of Black Friday sales is still, at its heart, about getting together with family and enjoying a communal meal. Somehow, it's managed to retain its solemnity in the face of an economy that strives to capitalize on every holiday.

I must admit, it has probably survived due to its built-in commercial aspect: people must buy food. But somehow, that's okay. Because the commercialism does not, and it seems cannot, interfere with the "point" of the day - the people you dine with, and giving thanks for the bounty of our lives.

Somehow, Thanksgiving retains its purity through the commercial haze. And thus, I feel it deserves the title of "best" American holiday.

Sorry - Columbus Day is still the best

It is definitely a great holiday, because it doesn't discriminate by religious differences - it's about coming together with loved ones. :)

However, Ken and I are really looking forward to spending the holiday with just each other this year, because we've yet to have a Thanksgiving alone. (Please do NOT offer condolences, as some have in the past - we consider it a good thing. ;) )

My parents are very supportive of that, but insisted on funding our dinner, of which we're planning on a quiet big-ass meal at Katella Deli (1/2 pound of turkey and all the fixins and pumpkin pie for just $14.99!), and we know we'll still have leftovers from that place, and we don't have to worry about cooking or cleaning up - just quality time with each other. We'll spend the afternoon having some fun indulgent snacks (I love to put out a relish tray on that day, even just for us), playing some games, heading out to dinner, and then playing more games throughout the evening. It's truly a day off in which everyone will be busy, so we can just concentrate on us. We can't wait. :)

Any holiday that centers around food is the holiday for me.
:)

That's right... you're from Hawaii, aren't you? ;)

I like May Day best!

I miss the tanks in Red Square...

Anyone else get the day after Thanksgiving off? That's a great holiday!

This year, I've been fortunate enough to get a 4 day weekend. My boss and I had to work at another library branch for a librarian and her 2nd in command that were gone. In turn, the librarian will be coming to my branch to work while my boss and I get the weekend off. Woo!

We get to steal from the Native Americans and then get slaughtered after they realize what we had done??!! Wow, I didn't get the memo!!! **Sharpening tomahawk as we speak!!** Hope you can run fast. Have to represent the Cherokee side of me!!!

Columbus was nothing but a pirate!!!! Arbor day rocks my boat because you get to plant stuff.

I had some Cherokee in me once, but we broke up.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Oh wait......I've used that line before.

Oh, stuff gets planted on Columbus Day too!;)

Not to derail the derail, but...

Actually I believe the original meaning of Thanksgiving was, "Holy crap, we're surviving this! And these people brought us food, let's eat and be glad we're not dead!"

...Which is pretty much what we do today - kinda.

That's certainly mine and Ken's theme this year. ;)

The day after Thanksgiving is the most fun workday of the year for me- seeing all the family fights break out because somebody wanted to go shopping, but NOOOO we had to take the kids to THIS place instead :evil:

It's also fun to say about 1500 times- "Yeah, EVERYBODY else here thought EVERYBODY else would be out shopping" :D

BD: sure :)

Whoever expects theme parks to be empty on a frigging holiday weekend needs to remove their heads from their dark dark anus.

I like Thanksgiving- always have. It's a nice, mellow way to start into the holidays, or it is now that I've stopped trying to celebrate with certain members of my family. :D In fact, today I'm making a mini-Thanksgiving meal: Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans and baked yams with marshmallow. We are going to my sis's house on Thursday, so I won't be cooking. I like having leftovers, so I decided to just make an early feast at home.

Total agreement with the OP. If there were more fireworks shows out here (and we didn't have to endure the safety campaigns) I'd put July 4th up there too.

Do you think that one day it will be verboten to have gluttonous holidays? We talk a big game about being healthy but when the holidays come up the truth comes out. I thinkthat a Thanksgiving sans fat, carbs, and sweets would be a fate worse than commercialism.

I'm just happy I don't have to be Thankful for Drama on that day any longer. It was always a struggle.

Now instead you can be thankful for Thurston :)

But, there's always room for Tofurkey! ;)

I won't even eat real giblet gravy, why on earth would I crave a vegetarian variety?

Turkey leftovers tonight, and it is still two days before Turkey Day!:D

Good thing I like turkey.

Good for you WB!

I'm going to so sweet potato and I thought today, aw damn, I need to go to the store for marshmallows, I'm right in the mood!

You go, girl! They was really yummy..... we ate them all, though.