Every year, after the spooky holiday of Halloween, we transition into a season of decisions. Do we jump straight into the cheerful festivities of Christmas or do we save the month of November for the gracious feast of Thanksgiving. The controversy of how long we wait to start celebrating Christmas is based upon many people’s personal opinions and whether they celebrate Thanksgiving or ignore the special holiday. It’s important to remember that different people have distinct experiences of past Thanksgivings and how they celebrate the good-nature of their time off.

In my own opinion, I believe that after the supernatural month of October, we should take November to acknowledge and commend Thanksgiving and the true roots of what it represents. How did Thanksgiving start, you ask? The special celebration goes all the way back to a harvest in 1621 shared by English colonists of Plymouth. The true descent of the gathering is based upon a special feast surrounded by your loved ones. It is a common tradition to eat a festive meal consisting of turkey, surrounded by dozens of flavorful sides. This holiday is mostly seen by many people as a time to stuff your face and stomach with plates of delicious homemade food made by your close friends and relatives.

Many people glance over the special gathering and don’t truly appreciate what it represents. Thanksgiving is a time to recognize the blessings you have gathered throughout the year and what you are gracious for. It is easy to push this holiday under the radar and jump into the animated and joyful season of Christmas. With concentrated thinking, you should really consider what you are thankful for in your past year. It is so important to stay gracious throughout your struggles because sometimes it can be hard to find the joys you have experienced in your life (coming from personal experiences).

No matter how much I can talk about the importance of Thanksgiving and how we should save the month of November to reflect, there will still always be people blasting Mariah Carey and decorating their Christmas tree at the beginning of the month. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with decorating early, I am too a victim of accessorizing the inside of my house with Christmas embellishments and a decorated plastic tree. (We usually decorate right before we leave town for Thanksgiving so that we can come back to a holly jolly filled home.)

It is still ok to start your Christmas shopping and plan for the upcoming new year, but you should still take some time to look back on what you have gone through during the course of your year. Everyone has different experiences where they might have accomplished amazing things or gone through some really tough times. No matter what, you still survived and that is something to be fully grateful and thankful for.

As you start to throw out your rotten carved jack o lanterns and shop for your family and friends Christmas presents, remember to recognize the upcoming holiday and don’t ignore it. Thanksgiving should be fully recognized and celebrated for its true purposes.

(P.S. Don’t forget to be grateful for our week off of school!)