White twinkle lights, evergreen boughs, colorful bulbs and bright, shiny paper parcels wrapped in red satin ribbon are all appealing to me. They truly are. But as I grow older, the gilded pageantry of Christmas has taken a backseat to the November holiday that I love even more.
“Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.” Ann Curry proclaimed from inside of my television years ago when she was still on The Today Show. And I remember thinking how odd that statement was. How could anyone enjoy any holiday MORE than Christmas? Isn’t that something akin to blasphemy? Though as she explained her reasoning, I began to understand. And since that moment, I have looked at Thanksgiving in a whole new light.
You see Thanksgiving, to me, is everything that’s wonderful about Christmas without all of the crappings trappings of the Big Day. It is food and family and time off from work without all the shopping, running, spending and decorating. It is like a Christmas dress rehearsal without the pressure of ticket sales, a live audience, props and costume changes.
I don’t know if everyone else can say the same. Perhaps you’re Turkey Day is a real pressure cooker. But for this gal, I find it particularly blissful for the following, five reasons:
- It is a day for sleeping in because I am NEVER trusted to cook the meal. I usually bring the rolls… and believe you, me, it is best for everyone that way.
- It is a day for laughing with and corrupting my seven nieces and nephews without having to compete with various new iThings, Star Wars Legos or the latest CD by One Direction.
- It is the annual celebration of Carb Fest USA… a.k.a. the typical American Thanksgiving meal. Seriously, when else can you get away with serving at LEAST four starches in one sitting? A culinary scenario that includes stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams, buttered rolls, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, pumpkin, pecan and cherry pie ALL chillin’ atop the SAME table at the SAME time = a Carboholic’s fantasy!
- There are no gifts required. And I am not listing this one as some stingy, selfish, shopping-hater (even though at times I can be). I mean that no money—other than that which was spent to prepare or provide the meal—was spent on more “stuff” that we probably don’t even need. No expectations were set other than that of gathering together, giving thanks and (hopefully) enjoying the company of those we hold dear.
- It is usually the day that ends with my family breaking out a copy of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and we all smoosh together in one room to watch and recite the entire thing — from Counsin Eddie’s dog named Snot and his infamous Crime of Fashion in the form of a black dickie… to fried felines, squirrels on the loose and Jelly of the Month clubs.
Whatever your Day of Thanks brings to you and yours this year, hopefully it includes some thankfulness (of course), some laughter, some love and at least ONE thing with whipped cream on top.
I am not operating under any delusions that I will ever BE this woman… but I like the idea of her.
Woman In Thrisis 
I’m another one who isn’t trusted to bring any key side dishes to the Thanksgiving table because everything I touch turns to charcoal. I like to bring things that even I can’t screw up – like beer and wine 🙂
ALWAYS good choices! I too like to take things that can be bought and therefore not screwed up 😀
My family doesn’t trust me as well … I always bring the salad. I dream that one day, I will be allowed to make a pie, but I’m not holding my breath. 🙂
Haha! So good to know when you are NOT alone, isn’t it? Thank you for sharing. Our kind has to stick together! 😉
This must be why we’re kindred spirits…Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year too! I love that there’s no STUFF involved. Just food and family. It’s been a hard adjustment, sharing my kids with their dad every other year, but it doesn’t matter, I cook a big “Thanksgiving” meal either the weekend before or after Thanksgiving the years they’re not with me. It makes the years they’re with me that much more special.
I know! I love that there is no STUFF. You said it! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving this year… that sounds like a good way to compromise with the kids by celebrating the day no matter what. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t ON Thursday… only that you do it 🙂
I love Thanksgiving and hosting it too:) I love it because there is no hype involved just a gathering of merriness and great eats. Who cannot be happy with carb overload and spirits – ha! Great Post – love you Top 5 – thanks for sharing. Have a Great Thanksgiving and Be Blessed Friend:)
I am still enjoying the “carbo overload” and spirits and plan to ride the wave well into Christmas! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful, Renee!
Great post…I am really looking forward to seeing you and Lee and all the rest of the “fam”. Yes, the food is great and so is the company. The cousins have started a new tradition of going together in the evening to see a movie…this year it is the last of the Twilight series. And I especially love it because I only have to provide my 7-layer salad and world famous chocolate cupcakes.
It was so nice to see you guys 🙂 Looking forward to a month from now when we can come back!
For a long time I had what amounted to a Thanksgiving dinner once a month. I would buy a turkey and all the rest of the typical meal and have a personal feast of it at the end of the day. Then, for the next four days, I’d eat the leftovers. Did I ever get tired of eating the leftovers? NO!!!!
That is a great idea, Donald. We like to make Thanksgiving dinner too a few times throughout the year and enjoy the leftovers. I hope you had a nice holiday this year!
Yes exactly! THank you! I LOVE that there’s no presents and no worries like that. Everyone just gets together and talks and eats! NO PRESENTS! Woot woot! It’s how all holidays should be, no owrries about affording things or whatever.
Amen to that! Buying things for the sake of buying things seems increasingly silly to me as the years go by. And yet… I still end up doing it to a degree. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving 😀
Happy Thanksgiving Joanna you are one of the things I am thankful for.
Thank you! And Happy Thanksgiving to you too, JT… a couple days late. Went up north to visit family… it was nice 🙂 I hope yours was great as well!
I was preparing a pre-Thanksgiving feast, and I observed that it wasn’t actually necessary to load the table up with all those carbs. My health-conscious 15 year old looked at me and said “Can we have the carbs anyway?” Tradition is so important! I made the carbs.
Ahhh… While I appreciate your efforts to stay “healthy” this holiday season… It’s nice you came through in that “motherly” way to indulge your daughter those lovely carbs. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them! 😉
I took one for the team here and looked like a hero, even as I was stuffing my face with, well, stuffing!
Good for you, Super Mom!! 😀
I’m still a fan of all the crappings that come along with Christmas! The tree, the decorations, the cookies, the gifts… I could skip the Turkey, personally.
I am not anti-Christmas. I like a lot of that stuff too, I just think the simplicity of Thanksgiving is nice 🙂 Not a HUGE turkey fan either… but I LOVE all of the other stuff that goes with it!