Halloween is swiftly approaching and with that we are inching closer to Thanksgiving next month. I am not ashamed to admit that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, but I cannot, and will never try to deny the negative connotations that are attached to the holiday. The story many of us were sold about thanksgiving being a time of peace and appreciation between indigenous people and the pilgrims is nothing but a colorful fairytale trying to paint the Europeans in a positive light (as is the case in many modern day teachings of American history.) The truth, or at least the most truth we are able to gain with our current knowledge, is much more sinister and truly not something to be celebrated.
I am not writing this to say who was right and who was wrong or to even tell the story of what (likely) really happened. I simply want to share WHY thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. My appreciation for the holiday has nothing to do with our country, and quite frankly, I wish we would stop connecting it with that. My appreciation for it is that I believe a day devoted to gratitude is something we could all benefit from. There are very few opportunities in our lives today that we all gather together with loved ones over a delicious meal and share our appreciation for what we have. I have always viewed it as a day to be thankful and appreciative of our lives, our friends and family, and of course, the best thing of all, food.
During the holiday, I encourage you to practice gratitude and empathy for those who might be hurt by its history. I also encourage you to do your research into what actually happened back then and remember that we have a deeply flawed and damaging history that we would be wise to learn from, rather than repeat.
Words By Skye 
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