Of all the Holidays we see in a year, Thanksgiving offers something special in its simplicity. There are no pressures of gift giving, no need to celebrate with potentially dangerous explosives, no need to go against every the basic principle of "don't take candy from strangers" (evidently there is an "unless you're dressed in costume" clause in that lesson), and most important, no forced carols in every store and endless ads persuading us to give in to the true spirit of commercialism.
Without all these bells and whistles surrounding the day, Thanksgiving is simply about getting together with family and friends to enjoy a good meal. With no parable of Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock (a holiday I coin as "Yanks-giving), Canadian Thanksgiving instead celebrates the harvest; an Oktoberfest of sorts but with turkey, squash, and wine instead of bratwurst, beer, and liederhosen. In my case, although the blackberry harvest was some weeks ago, the majority of my plants are just perfect for picking now. Tomatoes, zucchinis, squash, beetroot, carrots, turnips, cabbage, beans...a bountiful harvest from a tiny plot this year indeed; a "Thanksgardening", if you will.
No matter what advertisers and carols tell you, Thanksgiving is therefore the happiest time of year because the focus is on food. It is a day where all that is required is to simply get together and enjoy a fabulous meal, be it turkey, ham, or even tofurkey. Most important, the only mandatory message at Thanksgiving is to take a moment and count the blessings you have at the table. For me, it is certainly a loving family, a warm place to live, and bountiful food that nature provides.
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