Only One Week to Thanksgiving
Let the countdown begin!
It’s almost Thanksgiving, that magical time of year when we feast, gather with our families, enjoy each other’s company, and give thanks for all the benefits we have. We have other holidays but tend to take them more for granted than Thanksgiving.
It is a special time of the year, and I want to wish each and every one of you a Happy Thanksgiving! The temperatures may be falling, but the excitement is rising with each passing day.
The anticipation of Thanksgiving is a treasured and time-honored way to gauge people’s emotional barometers. We all love to have something exciting and memorable to plan for and look forward to.
But Thanksgiving is such a mouth-watering attraction, it brings out the best in people’s appetites. Imaginations run wild, and everybody is always hungry when it is time to chow down.
You could go with the traditional ritual of carving up a turkey with all the trimmings, including sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, stuffing, gravy, and biscuits topped off with pecan or pumpkin pies.
Or if you prefer vegan fare, try tempeh from Indonesia, tofu, (bean curd), and seitan, made from wheat gluten as a plant-based alternative for the traditional turkey, combined with veggies, rice, and salads. Any combination and mixing and matching is all just fine too.
Again, pecan or pumpkin pies are a favorite choice of dessert for almost everybody. Let the feasting begin!
Anticipation is the secret sauce that makes all our holidays more attractive, but there is nothing like the combination of food, football, and reuniting with your family than on the Thanksgiving holiday for most Americans.
People used to dress up more for Thanksgiving than they do today. It used to be more of a formal, sit-down occasion.
But then again, American society has also spun off into a much more relaxed informal lifestyle and celebration of the holidays in general over the last few generations.
Thanksgiving is certainly one of them. It is a time to toss the pigskin around outside with long-lost cousins, flop on the couch, and catch up on family gossip, business, and endless chit-chat about what we have all been up to since we last saw each other.
Of course, we are all still hooked up to the internet, holiday or not, and so there will be cell phones beeping all over the house, especially among the younger generations.
Live and let live.
The important point is that we have the opportunity to gather together with our loved ones and give thanks for all of our blessings.
More than 55 million Americans are planning to travel this year, one of the busiest in years. Most of them will travel over 50 miles, and the vast majority of these will be driving, according to AAA estimates.
Peak driving hours are expected to be between 2–6 p.m. on the Wednesday before the holidays so try to hit the road earlier than that to avoid the travel crush.
If you like driving in the dark, after 6 p.m. would also give you a better chance to avoid the worst of the highway traffic jams. Either way, traffic will likely be a lot heavier than usual before you get to Gramma’s house.
As for the return part of the round trip, if you are leaving on Friday, travelers are advised to be homeward-bound before 11 a.m. or after 7 p.m. If you are having so much fun you can’t tear yourself away till Sunday, leave before noon.
For those traveling greater distances, nearly 5 million people will fly. The airlines take advantage by jacking up ticket prices, so be aware of that if you are budget-conscious.
Tuesday and Wednesday flights before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after are expected to be peak traveling time at the airports.
Forewarned is forearmed!
Wherever you go, however you get there, enjoy this special day of feasting, mingling, and expressing your love together with your family.
And always remember to feel empathy and compassion, and to give any help you can to share with those less fortunate, in any way that you can.
It’s almost Thanksgiving!
We are all human, yet we are all different and the same. We are all connected…