What started in 1621 as a feast shared between the Wampanoag people and the English colonists became known as Thanksgiving, an annual holiday celebrated by many Americans and Canadians yearly.
Thanksgiving originated as a day for people to spend time with each other and express gratitude along with what they are thankful for. This day is shared with friends and family, but in modern times the question, “Is the turkey better than a thank you?” must be asked.
Thanksgiving is normally celebrated with a generous feast, with items that vary between houses. A Thanksgiving meal is usually centered around a turkey with countless side dishes from stuffing to pumpkin pie. Many people of the new generation believe Thanksgiving is more about the food. As a post online suggests, if you ask Generation Z (Gen Z) their thoughts on Thanksgiving, most comments discuss the food items and compare them to other un-American traditions. As most commenters spoke on food items, many others discussed how their family would celebrate together, being with people they are thankful for.
“Best holiday besides Christmas. I love the food, I love hanging out with my cousins, it’s great. We always go to visit family so it ends up being a whole 2 or 3 day thing with a bunch of fun traditions we do each day,” said one commenter on Reddit.
However, many people simply enjoy the concept of Thanksgiving, despite the origins of the holiday and the fact that it is celebrating colonization. Many people do not celebrate Thanksgiving for various reasons, and a post online points out the flaws in Thanksgiving. Most people tell others that Thanksgiving is about showing gratitude and not the terrible fate of the Native Americans.
“As an adult, I’m capable of separating the intent of the holiday from the unfortunate reality of our treatment of Native Americans. The intent of the holiday is to be thankful and celebrate family. If a bunch of miserable people want to make it political, that’s their problem, not mine,” a commenter on Reddit posted.
Thanksgiving has always been centered around food, family, and the act of thanks, and it is only up to people to educate a younger generation about the origin of their beloved holiday, and how modern society has changed it to what it is now.
