A MODERN THANKSGIVING

What the holiday is really about

by  Elena Silla
      Nazareth Academy

              Thanksgiving is a holiday that is celebrated by a majority of America.  For the past week, practically everyone in school has been doing Thanksgiving-related projects while parents scramble to buy turkeys and stuffing in preparation for today's feast.  In short, almost everyone is excited for Thanksgiving.
              However, Thanksgiving is not the same holiday it once was.  Formerly a feast among pilgrims a d Native Americans, it has become somewhat distorted over time.
              Our modern interpretation of Thanksgiving has ideals that were not found in Thanksgiving years before.  Now, it seems that everything in the holiday is aggrandized, from the amount of people invited to the amount of food made to the television shows watched.
              Holidays are certainly a time to spend with family.  Sometimes, though, when relatives who are rarely seen attend a family get-together, some awkwardness enses.  Perhaps it's an aunt you haven't seen in years or a cousin and his family that no one has ever met before, but it seems that, more and more often, people are having dozens upon dozens of people over for Thanksgiving.
              There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, of course.  It just seems the holiday has grown from being about giving thanks to impressing guests.  Of course, when dozens of family members come over, they can cause quite a scene.
               They also require lots of food, which leads me to my next point.
               The food.  This is the topic that everyone, and I mean everyone, looks forward to on Thanksgiving .  In the past week alone, I think I've heard at least five people mention they're going to fill their plates twice over on the one day a year where people cannot be judged for the amount of food they eat.  It seems all anyone can focus on is the quantity of food they will be eating or preparing.
              
                  So many people nowadays associate Thanksgiving with mashed potatoes, stuffing and, of course, turkey.  These are definitely important elements of Thanksgiving, but the fact that people are focusing on these aspects instead of appreciating what they have signifies that the holiday really has changed in meaning, if not in name.
                Another important aspect of our modern Thanksgiving culture is the television shows, including, of course, the football games.  I'm not s big football fan, but I do know that the games on Thanksgiving are big events.
                 Another show many people enjoy on this holiday is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Giant inflatable characters floating down the streets of New York City ---- what could be more awesome than that?
                  But while these shows are entertaining, they somewhat distort the original intent of the holiday.  People watch these shows without appreciating that they get to eat a nice Thanksgiving meal at home while those football players won't have that chance. While these shows aren't bad in any way, they do take away from the true meaning of the holiday.
                  In truth, Thansgiving has been radically altered from its origin some 300 years ago.  As America grew into a nation that wants more of everything, Thanksgiving has grown alongside of it.  People now think that if they cook more food, they're showing gratitude for what they have.
                  But giving thanks is not a gesture that needs to be over the top.  Maybe, instead of all of these grand gestures, we need to step back and take a look at what we have.  We get so caught up in our lives that we forget to appreciate the little things in life.
                  So as you sit here perusing your newspaper on this fine Thanksgiving morning, perhaps you'll consider giving thanks in the most simple way possible: by just saying thank you.