Several years ago, after a family Christmas that included the anti-climatic trading of gift cards, my mom enthusiastically decided that our family will no longer be exchanging gifts over Christmas. Sure, maybe your thinking ba-humbug on my mom's part, however I disagree. With the complete commercialization of Christmas, the true meaning of the holiday has been lost to the overwhelming headache of having to navigate crowded malls to buy gifts that bring only a momentary climax of joy. Whatever happen to family, love, and togetherness? Whatever happen to enjoying the company of the ones you love without the need to buy things? Whatever happen to just getting together to eat, drink, and be merry? Though these ideals my be lost during Christmas, they certainly aren't lost during Thanksgiving.
No holiday speaks more to the ideals of family and togetherness than Thanksgiving. Dad cooks the turkey, mom makes the potatoes and stuffing, grandma brings the pies, auntie brings the yams, sister and brother bring the wine. Everyone brings something to contribute to the whole. No buying gifts for one particular person, no cold trading of gift cards, everything brought is to be enjoyed and shared by all, and isn't that the real meaning of the holidays? Being with the ones you love to enjoy a meal, some drinks (sometimes to many drinks), conversation, and to just be together.
Remember over this Thanksgiving, family means more than just dishing out money for pointless gifts. Family is a life binder. It's a common and unbreakable bond, and Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday to be able to express those bonds and to make them even stronger.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
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