Illustration: Andrew Mazariegos- Ovalle/The Olaf Messenger
Stepping through the front door, a wave of heat blasts my face. My senses are taken over by the smell, sights, and sounds of my grandparents’ cozy dwelling. The air is warm and smells of turkey roasting in the oven. The sound of conversations, the TV, silverware clattering, and screaming children fill my ears. The house is overflowing with relatives, each one making sure to greet me as soon as they spot me. After navigating the sea of gossiping aunts and running children, I make it to the kitchen. My grandma turns around, armed with oven mitts and holding a steaming, golden brown ham dripping in glaze. She sets down the ham and I lean in to hug her. Moving into the living room, I find my cousins tangled in a massive knot of limbs, apparently wrestling each other to the death. My uncle comes around the corner and takes in the sight of my cousins piled on top of each other. He threatens them with a “knuckle sandwich,” and they know the battle is over.
These are just a couple snippets of what Thanksgiving is like in my family. Every year I look forward to it more and more. I think everyone can agree that no matter what holiday you celebrate, being with family and creating memories is what makes it so magical. So why do I prefer Thanksgiving over Christmas? Both are about family and memories, so what makes Turkey Day different?
Thanksgiving is a holiday where food is one of the main focuses. Just thinking of the mountains of food on the table has me drooling. Turkey and ham, stuffing, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, bacon smokies — one of my personal favorites — and don’t forget the pies. The list of food that makes it to the table on Thanksgiving goes on and on. When you start to get sad that the feast is already over, just remember the stacks of leftovers stocking your fridge.
Even though there isn’t snow on the ground, we can still go outside and enjoy the giant leaf pile in my grandparents backyard. I remember a long time ago when my cousin and brother were still very little, my uncle tossed them into a huge leaf pile and they just disappeared. After a few seconds, muffled laughter erupted from beneath the leaves. Some of my favorite memories of this holiday involve running around outside and playing baseball. We don’t get to do that when it’s snowy and 20 degrees out on Christmas.
What I find to be the biggest difference between these holidays is the gift giving. Sure, it’s fun and thoughtful to give and get gifts, but it’s also incredibly stressful and expensive to have to buy presents for friends and family. Personally, I think Christmas has become way too materialistic. I prefer Thanksgiving because we don’t have to worry about breaking the bank. It’s simply just a holiday to stuff your face with food, spend time with family and friends, and be grateful.
I would also like to acknowledge the fact that Thanksgiving is also a National Day of Mourning and serves as a day to remember the genocide and oppression of Indigenous People brought upon by European colonization.
Natalie Kunz is from Prior Lake, Minn. Her major is undeclared.
