GNA CAMPUS- It’s holiday season here at GNA and we are getting closer and closer to turkey day. Thanksgiving is called the forgotten holiday because it usually gets pushed aside by Christmas. Although this holiday is celebrated by a feast usually consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes and numerous vegetables, Thanksgiving tends to be put in the shadows by black Friday and football games.

Around 46 million turkeys are eaten every year on Thanksgiving. Traditionally, most families eat a feast consisting of roasted turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, broccoli, cauliflower, mashed potatoes, green beans (occasionally in casserole form) and last but certainly not least cranberry sauce. The dessert menu for Thanksgiving tends to be the most important part for some. This menu is made up of many pies like pumpkin, pecan, apple, and sweet potato. This basic meal described tends to be the skeleton to all family dinners but families always have some sort of twist for their big meal.

The basics are always good, but the real winners of the meal are the unique dishes that differ from family to family. Most people only eat turkey on Thanksgiving, but families in different regions eat ham, sausage, and kielbasa. Some common Christmas foods for Italian people are fish and lasagna, but it is also common for these foods to be on the Thanksgiving menu. An unusual appetizer for this big day is celery and cream cheese. This can be considered possibly a palate cleanser before turkey time.

Poor Thanksgiving! In recent years our beloved turkey day has been put on the back burner. It is more common now than ever to instantly be in Christmas mode starting on November 1st. Thanksgiving is given around three days to be celebrated. The day after Thanksgiving some consider to be a holiday known as Black Friday. The preparation for the biggest shopping days of the year start in late October and early November. Some people leave their house directly after Thanksgiving dinner to get in line for the best doorbuster’s one can find. If they aren’t rushing malls then they are most likely waiting to shop until their computer battery dies on cyber Monday.

Although many people tend to not care about Thanksgiving besides the meal, there is still a core group of lovers for this holiday. Thanksgiving is the true first make of the holiday season, even though people often start celebrating before turkey day. Thanksgiving is a great holiday because it’s much less hectic than Christmas or any holiday similar. There aren’t any children rushing to open presents and ruining the meal. Thanksgiving is a very easy-going holiday because of its calm and peaceful nature. It is a time to be with family, enjoy the presence of loved ones, and eat a delicious feast.

So, don’t rule out Thanksgiving because although it is underrated, it might just end up being the best holiday out of them all.

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