Nearly all the leaves have fallen off their trees or turned into hues of orange and red, and Halloween has officially come to an end, and Christmas remains a month away. Stuck in between two major holidays, Thanksgiving tends to be forgotten in the haze of Halloween and Christmas.
Shortly after Halloween ended, approximately 51 percent of Americans plan to have their Christmas decorations up before the eve of Thanksgiving according to a survey conducted by thisoldhouse.com. From tinsel to lawn inflatables, many have gone all out for Christmas already even though it remains almost a little more than a month away. Decorating can be a fun activity for families which is why there is such a heavy emphasis on it during Christmas time.
Parvini Naralasetti, a sophomore at Briar Woods High School, stated “we usually forget [to decorate]…but when we do its because its nice to decorate and see your space pretty”
Walking through the aisles at any big brand store the morning after Halloween, such as Target, it becomes evident that companies release their Christmas merchandise almost immediately after Halloween. According to the National Retail Federation “For the last several years, approximately 2 out of every 5 holiday shoppers have started browsing and buying before November.” While Christmas often involves a lot of decorating, Thanksgiving normally involves very little decor, which explains why thanksgiving decor is often missing from the shelf.
Although Thanksgiving is revered as a smaller and a purely American holiday, its simplicity, to many, makes it perfect. Allison Taylor explains her love for Thanksgiving “I personally feel that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday just because it focuses on family and being appreciated and thankful for all that we have and it’s just a time of reflection and there’s not a lot of other stressful focus on like gift exchanging or decorating things or anything like that it’s just a time to come together with your family and friends.”
A major part of Thanksgiving is gratitude and practicing gratitude for all that has happened that year. According to Harvard Health Publishing “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
The wintertime is a period of many holidays of ranging importance to people. While some holidays may be more mainstream than others, like Christmas, each winter holiday brings something different to the table.
