CHRISTMAS IS COMING SOON… LET’S BE HAPPY ABOUT IT

It’s finally November, and you know what that means: Christmas is next month!

I know, I skipped over Thanksgiving. You may have seen me around campus sporting a “Twelve Days of Christmas” sweater in the last week or so. If you have, then you know I have been skipping over Thanksgiving since November began.

It isn’t that I don’t love Thanksgiving or appreciate what it stands for. It’s just that there are a lot of good reasons to justify getting into the Christmas spirit early, and I am going to sell you on it.

November marks the beginning of “the holiday season.” One does not simply think of Thanksgiving without also thinking of Christmas. Consider the words we associate with each separate holiday. Among others, family, gratefulness, and food, come to mind.

Yes, each holiday is special and different. They both deserve equal respect, but why does there have to be a distinct line?

Thanksgiving is beautiful in that it encourages Americans to remember what we are thankful for. It brings us together with our families. We even make an effort to see the extended family we don’t often see, and that is beautiful.

As far as bringing families together, though, have you ever considered just how many opportunities for family time Christmas presents?

There are so many gingerbread houses to be decorated, nights to drive around looking at Christmas lights, and movies to watch. There’s a tree and stockings to decorate and to hang, and candy canes to eat. People bake together and go out hunting for presents. Parents take their children to get their photo taken with Santa. Some families even volunteer together around Christmas-time.

Thanksgiving provides way less room for activities that are themed specifically to that holiday.

Having an entire month dedicated to a holiday for appreciating what we have also makes you think: Shouldn’t we be showing appreciation all the time, anyway? Shouldn’t everyone strive to be grateful and check in on their family often, without the pressure of a holiday sentiment?

Some people might argue that Thanksgiving deserves a whole month because it is in memory of the original thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Native Americans. To that, I say one little holiday in memory of one group of natives that got along with pilgrims does not erase the horror of hundreds of other native peoples who were slaughtered by early colonists in America.

I do get why you would think that the original thanksgiving feast is so important. It’s only been drilled into our heads since kindergarten. Anyway, this article is not about whitewashed history lessons.

Regardless, we don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving for that original feast at all. We celebrate Thanksgiving in the name of family, gratefulness, and happiness. (Maybe add in the word now at the start of the second sentence? Probably isn’t necessary though. -Megan)

Speaking of happiness, I don’t know about you guys, but when I see Christmas lights, I get extremely giddy inside. It brings back memories of happiness and childhood. Fond memories make people happy, and I know I cannot be the only one who feels the magic I felt as a child around Christmas-time.

The holiday season brings out emotions in people that they just can’t get for most of the year. So, to all the self-proclaimed Grinches out there: Let people be joyful for two full months before the year ends. The cheer of others is not going to harm you.

Happy holidays!