The American Holiday?

Turkey Day. Stuff Yourself. Family time. Perhaps watch Football. Could be Christmas, but I'm talking about Thanksgiving, a truly American holiday, unique to the US. Its origins lie in the Pilgrims and Native Americans, the first settlers in America and the Indian inhabitants.

 

Sweet Potato Ships

And so it should be unique to America right? Well, that's not what Amazon thinks, and a few other companies too. I seem to have been bombarded with offers for Black Friday sales- Black Friday being the big day of sales equivalent to our Boxing Day sales (which were originally January sales)- despite being in the UK, coming from Amazon UK. I suppose with a sluggish economy, stores are grabbing any opportunity they can to stir up interest.

But if you take away the origins of Thanksgiving, why shouldn't we, and other countries across the world celebrate the day too?

For a start, it helps stop the inevitable onslaught of Christmas, which now seems to start in September. When lots of people I spoke to here today seemed to find the need to mention that it was only one month to Christmas, Americans are focusing on the day at hand, taking a sabbatical from Christmas.

More seriously, Thanksgiving and the Thanksgiving weekend is a time that is genuinely about spending time with family, relaxing, and being thankful. Sure, there's the food, but more than any other holiday, Thanksgiving brings families together, without the need for presents and parties and decorations and all that kind of thing. Millions of Americans have travelled these past few days, in order to make it to a loving home for Thanksgiving. Both times I experienced Thanksgiving in the US, I was welcomed into incredibly loving families, to share in this special day, with special people.

Thanksgiving in California

And if nothing else, the day does make you reflect on life, and reflect on what you are thankful for. I've done a fair bit of sulking around recently, not at a point in my life where I want to be, away from the US, not with a job that I want, and all that kind of thing. But I have a roof over my head, I have food on the table. I have a wonderful family, and lots of great friends, loving and caring all around me, across the world. At times I feel sad, but when I stop think, I'm relatively happy, and I have nothing to complain. And happiness is just that, relative. To many, I am the luckiest person in the world, and today is a day that helps me acknowledge that.

We live in a globalized world, yet with the materialism that is so prevalent in society, the suffering of millions in other parts of the Earth seem can seem further away than ever. I'm guilty of it, like almost everyone is; I want a new computer, I want to travel here and there, buy this and that, do all these things, and I'm disappointed when I can't. Instead I should be using technology to look across the globe and take the time to see how fortunate I really am. Millions will go hungry today, millions will fall ill with no hope of a cure. Many will die. It's easy to forget this, despite the global media coverage. I should be thankful for everything I have, and be wishing that everyone can join me in being as lucky as I am.

Safe, secure, healthy. Loved. And Happy.

For that, I am thankful.

 

Nicole: Hope you feel better!!!