Thanksgiving is truly an enigma; I mean, compare it to other holidays. It doesn’t have a huge hype around it and kids honestly don’t seem to care about it in this generation. Thanksgiving just kind of happens. But then, there are those moments where you think to yourself “my cousin is kinda funny” or “I like the way that cranberry sauce mixed with that turkey”. Boom! Suddenly the faults of the feasts seem irrelevant.

There’s cranberry sauce, stuffing, turkey, pie, and more to make this day worthwhile, but for some, Thanksgiving just… ain’t it chief. Not to be a negative Nancy but the tides of Thanksgiving may turn rapidly if a few details are off. That’s the problem with Thanksgiving: there are key factors that not all people can enjoy. Thanksgiving is a circumstantial holiday. If you don’t get to see your family on Thanksgiving it’s just a reminder that you are not with them. Also cooking a turkey is a pain. When your family does come, they aren’t always pleasant. The color scheme is questionable. And the leftovers become permanently a part of the fridge, leaving no more space for new food. As your fridge fills, so does your stomach. Then, all of a sudden, you feel like you’re nine months pregnant.

“I had a food baby and then I went into a food Coma so I couldn’t take cute photos with my family,” says senior Athena Kullman.  The quaking and aching leaves you feeling bloated and blue by Thanksgiving night.

However, Thanksgiving day isn’t all that bad. After all, there’s the food and the fact that you get out with your family (when they aren’t being annoying).

“ I love the food and just being around my family while being off a whole week from school,” says senior Arianna Turner.

The weather is also a plus: not too cold, but not hot either. School is off the majority of Thanksgiving week, so that’s also a plus. Then there’s of course the UNDERRATED green bean casserole along with all the other dishes.

Later that night as the clock strikes twelve, a storm brews. Black Friday. This is one of the one things I always love about Thanksgiving. Deals drop and so do people as you push past them to get to the last easy bake oven. The day turns to night as shops and restaurants begin to open up. There’s just something about the smell of Auntie Anne’s pretzel mixed with low low prices at 2 am that makes the day before seem better.

Overall there are just as many pros as there are cons. I could analyze Thanksgiving forever, but, honestly, I change my mind every year regarding whether I like it or not. Whether you hate Thanksgiving or you love it, I hope you enjoyed the time off and, remember, Christmas is right around the corner.