For those of you who have forgotten the order of the holidays, it is always Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and finally the winter holidays. 

So don’t put away those fall decorations just yet and set the table for dinner, because the next holiday to celebrate is Thanksgiving this November.  

Not to disregard other fall and winter holidays, but these are the most commercialized ones that many celebrate each year. Halloween is also my favorite holiday, so take what I say with a grain of salt. 

After the spooky fall season is over, the next to be celebrated is the aesthetic harvest fall, with the leaves changing colors and the hosting of a turkey dinner on the last Thursday of Nov. 

Yes, Thanksgiving can be seen as a holiday that should be forgotten due to its origins but is near and dear to my heart. The holiday is not celebrated by the Indigenous Natives, its original meaning was to celebrate the pilgrim’s arrival to the new world. But with that arrival came the genocide of millions of native Americans. That is why it can be seen as disrespectful to celebrate it, but that is why you don’t look too closely into American history as this country was built on a bloodbath. 

 My family personally celebrates it as the only real family dinner we get all year. Especially since any holiday is what you make of it, from the old to traditions to new ones, they bring families closer together every year. 

One of my favorite traditions is that for the past eight years I have made Thanksgiving dinner all on my own. From the turkey to the pumpkin pie and my personal favorite, the stuffing. 

One amazing part about Thanksgiving is how it has grown from its original meaning. It can be celebrated with blood relatives, having that one important family dinner each year, or celebrating with friends you consider important. Because family can be the friends you choose to celebrate momentous occasions with. 

Plus who can forget the Macy’s Day parade, the dog show, football, or the dinner served at lunchtime!

More importantly, Thanksgiving is much more than parades, food, and crazy store deals: Thanksgiving is one of the true opportunities to celebrate with family or chosen family, a day to celebrate with old and new traditions to take a moment and be thankful for all you have. 

That’s why Christmas and other winter holidays should wait to be celebrated. At least until Black Friday. The winter holidays are also a huge family celebration, but throughout the years the true meaning of Christmas has lost all meaning to gift buying and receiving, unlike Thanksgiving.

It’s all about the sales, giving gifts to friends and family, getting the latest toy for your kid. The Hallmark movies got it wrong, there’s no true meaning to Christmas except the commercialized holiday built to be something more than it is. 

And it should be a crime to start celebrating Christmas in Aug. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!