How To Be Thankful Without Celebrating Thanksgiving

By Trevor Durham on November 25, 2015

It’s the time of the year infamous for jokes, hostilities (mainly about the upcoming winter holidays), and food. Thanksgiving. Every year somebody will stand up and bring issue to the foundation of this American holiday, sourcing the pilgrims and Native Americans. They will either argue for the pilgrims founding our nation, or argue for the Native Americans who were ravaged. Well, I think the whole system is bullshit.

I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. I grew up disliking turkey, that may have factored in. The racial insensitivity may have done me in. Could have even been that cranberry garbage.

Well, really, I don’t want to celebrate a holiday completely unfounded on a single positive notion.

Thanksgiving is a Canadian tradition, folks. It’s a time to celebrate a bountiful harvest. Canadian Thanksgiving precedes the Puritan colonists by almost a century.

Thanksgiving was a gathering of the pilgrims who wanted to celebrate the harvest with a flamboyant festival feast. We sort of hold this true, but now with family, rather than community.

Becky sure knows how to celebrate her harvest.

I suppose what I want to point out is the difference between historical and cultural connotations, namely: Thanksgiving is not an American holiday, Thanksgiving is not a family holiday, and Thanksgiving is not a celebration of anything but harvest.

Before I hear the decrying of my tearing down of America’s familial institution, let it be known that I love my family. I won’t be going home this year to see my grandma and hear her wondrous laugh. Nor my aunts or uncles, who tell me of new bestsellers and trade me recommendations over recipes. My cousin’s new toddler won’t see me this year. And I really miss my mother.

Thanksgiving is a misplaced celebration. We need more celebrations of family in America (and please lord can we get some communal holidays to get us back in touch with the neighborhood), not less. Perhaps we pinned our only annual gathering on the wrong day.

Why not January 31st, the date the House accepted the thirteenth amendment, abolishing the slavery of African Americans?

Why not July 9th, the date we ratified the fourteenth amendment, allowing African American slaves the right to a family, the right to a life, the right to freedom?

Why not July 2nd, the date we passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, furthering the freedoms of persons of color, recognizing them in our nation?

Why not June 26th, the date we federally recognized the ability for those of the same sex to marry and have a family?

I am thankful for Daveed Digg’s Jefferson.

Hell, why not July 4th, celebrating not only our creation as a nation, but the potential and love our country stands for?

July is a hot month.

So no, I don’t celebrate the ideals Thanksgiving currently stands for. I don’t necessarily uphold National Day of Mourning or Unthanksgiving Day (while they definitely have the right idea), but I just think we are using the wrong frame for a nice picture. I am thankful you read this. I am thankful for my family, the opportunities I am given, and the possibilities of freedom this country can fight for. But I’m not thankful in the lens of conquering bigots who wish to celebrate a harvest. That’s just strange.

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