The Greatest American Holiday

Thanksgiving is upon us! And because nothing was on television last night, I ended up watching Home For the Holidays: The History of Thanksgiving, on the History Channel. I know, I know, my life is a nonstop party. But it was actually quite interesting, and I learned some things I didn’t know before. For instance, did you know that Franklin Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving up a week, in an effort to jumpstart the depressed economy with prolonged Christmas spending? And did you know that there were no pies at the first Thanksgiving, because the pilgrims didn’t have ovens? Poor suckers.

Perhaps the best point made by the documentary, one that hadn’t occurred to me, is that Thanksgiving really is the last great American holiday. It has not been commercialized like Christmas, you don’t have to be pressured into going to church, you don’t have to worry about what presents to buy for people you don’t really know. Rather, it’s just a time for your family and friends to gather around the same table, load their plates with carby deliciousness, and just be thankful for what you have.

And if you find yourself all alone this holiday season (like I was on the Worst Thanksgiving Ever – deserted by my family, with strep throat, too weak to open my Gatorade bottle), take heart. At least you’re not having Thanksgiving with this guy.