Thanksgiving is often the most forgotten holiday as many people jump directly from Halloween to the Christmas season. Stores put up Christmas decorations immediately after Halloween and radio stations play Christmas music early in November. These marketing techniques influence the public who are excited for the pretty lights and festivities. However, Thanksgiving should be remembered- not only because of its history and how it became a holiday, but also because it affects life today.

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and appreciate what you have instead of buying more of something you don’t need or will put in the back of a closet, never to be seen again. The average American spends around $175 dollars on Thanksgiving, $335 on Black Friday, and $700 on Christmas shopping. This statistic shows that Thanksgiving is often overlooked. There’s no rule saying you have to eat the traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce (if that’s not your thing), but we should at least recognize the overall meaning of the November holiday. Every family has a different preference on how to celebrate and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. There is a point to be made, though, in the sense that Thanksgiving should be a time of gratitude and everyone has something to be thankful for. Enjoy your Black Friday sales, your holiday season shopping spree, and listen to as much Christmas music as you like, whenever you like- there’s no problem with that. Just don’t forget to stop and appreciate what you have and give thanks for it, because that is the true meaning of Thanksgiving.