By Liam Reilly
@liampreilly852
Holidays are people’s favorite days of the year – I know they’re some of mine. Especially for college students, as a holiday often means a day off or an entire break from school. Although most holidays can bring joy and a feeling of togetherness, one sits on top the holiday throne: Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November and was first celebrated as a way to say blessings for successful harvests. Now, it is celebrated to come together with family and friends to let them know that you’re thankful for them.
Thanksgiving is the best holiday to express gratitude. It’s also a holiday in which many faiths celebrate. Unlike some holidays such as Christmas, where you show thankfulness through the act of gift giving, Thanksgiving gives the chance to let people know how grateful you are through words straight from the heart.
Whether it’s a simple “I’m grateful for you” or a more sincere message, knowing that you’re appreciated and being able to tell someone that you appreciate them is one of the best feelings in the world.
Second, Thanksgiving has the best holiday food. The combination of mac and cheese with pulled pork is like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson: it never misses. I’m not a mashed potatoes or gravy fan but I know both are very popular. I haven’t even mentioned the best food of all, a big turkey drumstick to tear apart. My favorite dessert is a delicious zucchini bread recipe – passed down from my grandmother, aunts and now cousins – which is a great finish to a successful feast.
Even Cheney Hall celebrates Thanksgiving, as the menu is filled with savory items when the holiday approaches. Cheney mac and cheese is already good on its own, but throw in pulled pork and ham? Chef’s kiss. Don’t take my word for it. Visit Cheney during dinner hours on Thursday, Nov. 21 to see for yourself.
Being able to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends is what makes it so memorable. This is especially the case for college students, as for some it’ll be the first time they see their family since leaving for school. One of my favorite moments from Thanksgiving has to be taking a minute to look around and seeing all my family smile as we all play some kind of game.
This may be a hot take, but Thanksgiving has the best slate of sports games. (Sorry, NBA fans.) These games feature traditions, as the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions have been playing on Thanksgiving since 1966 and 1934, respectively. At the end of each game, players are presented with a turducken. As the legendary John Madden once famously explained, a turducken is “turkey on the outside, then you stuff the turkey with a duck, and then you stuff the duck with a chicken.”
Thanksgiving also isn’t thwarted by the threat of not receiving a gift you wanted. Christmas is an amazing holiday, but sometimes can be shadowed by someone’s disappointment by not getting a gift they asked for. As for Halloween, it can be dimmed by an unsuccessful conquest for sweets, whereas for Thanksgiving, no matter what house you enjoy it at, the food will always be scrumptious.
Starting the day by watching your favorite media icons float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, then enjoying an appetizing feast with those closest to you and marveling at the orange and yellow decorations that capture the cozy feeling of fall, I simply can’t get enough of it. To me, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year.