7 Reasons Thanksgiving is the Best Holiday.

I admit it.  I’m simple.  And that’s why Thanksgiving appeals to me.  Yes, Christmas and Valentine’s Day and the Fourth of July all have their merits, but there’s something so modest and easy-going about this celebration.  Here are 7 things about Thanksgiving I love most…

·        I love the Macy’s Day Parade.  I know it’s corny but there’s something nice about sautéing onions while listening to high school marching bands.  I don’t hear marching bands much as a rule so I’ve come to associate my kitchen prep that morning with the stirring sounds of horns and snare drums.  All those eager young faces from Dayton and Boulder and Tulsa make me happy for some reason.

 

·        I love that Thanksgiving's inclusive.  There are no dividing lines between religion, creed, or heritage.  We’re all Americans.  That’s the only price of admission.  Whether you’ve been here ten generations or just arrived, the entire country’s welcome to partake.  

·        I love that there's no decorating involved.  Yes, Christmas is beautiful but there’s something lovely in the modesty of Thanksgiving.  There’s no house-shattering decorating projects, no dragging full-grown fir trees into the living room, no tinsel, wrapping paper or garland.  All Thanksgiving asks is a nicely-set table… if that's no bother. 

·        I love how Thanksgiving is a gift-free zone.  There’s no frantic count-down, no nail-biting over packages sent a tad too late, no trying to remember who got what last year.  Is it tacky to mail gift cards…again?  Thanksgiving only wants togetherness around the dinner table, which leads me to my next point... 

·        I love the meal – turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, creamed onions and butternut squash.  For dessert, we have pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream (courtesy of son Paul and nephew Sean).  I have this meal once a year and crave it weeks in advance.  In fact, I’m craving it now as I write this. 

·        I love how this is my family's 58^th Thanksgiving together.  I know people who have a scene from “August: Osage County” every year, but that's not us.  We're drama-free and it’s only as I’ve grown older I realize how lucky I am.  Looking back, I have only happy memories of this holiday and that credit goes to my mother and father.

 

·        Finally, I love that Thanksgiving is gone as quickly as it came.  Everyone helps clean up.  And  later, I get into my pajamas for my 37^th viewing of the “Sound of Music.” I'll sit back and have my second (third?) piece of pumpkin pie.  And that's it.  What could be better than that?  Easy, simple, and kind.  Thank you, Thanksgiving. 

 

Agree?  Disagree?  Comments are always welcome and if you like, please share.  Thank you.