I am a huge fan of Christmas, I will not travel to black Friday shop, but I will go locally and look for some deals. So, I am not a hater of all the black Friday hoopla, but I feel bad for Thanksgiving that it seems to be losing time and quality to black Friday. My family has never been black Friday shoppers, so Thanksgiving’s in the Spachman household were relaxing and not that eventful, but there are 5 things that make Thanksgiving one of my favorite days of the year:
Football
I love to watch football, especially the Detroit Lions. I don’t care if they lose fifty games in a row, that’s my team and it always will be. In the past Thanksgiving has been the Lions only nationally televised game as Detroit started the tradition of the Thanksgiving Day home game. When the team was bad a few years ago some suggested the lions didn’t deserve the noon spot on Thanksgiving. Regardless of the team being good or bad I always took tremendous pride knowing that the nation was watching my favorite team on Thanksgiving Day. Then the football goes all day long, the past several years there have been three NFL games. One right after another it is glorious!
The Two P’s
Pies and Potatoes – Bless my mom’s heart I always needed to have apple pie as opposed to pumpkin pie, but whatever the kind of pie, or desert for that matter, it’s necessary. Thanksgiving is the time when your so full, but still find a way to eat a slice (or two) of pie. Just in case the tryptophan from the turkey didn’t make you want to take a nap, the sugar crash will push you over the edge. Potatoes are great no matter where or when, but I remember the first time I saw the bowl of mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and thought, “It’s so much bigger than the normal dinner bowl of potatoes I can have as much as I want!” Then there is all the great variations of potatoes that people make, and they all rock! Cheesy potatoes, garlic, the potato casserole things, potatoes and pies 2 of my favorite things about Thanksgiving!
That weird dish that only your family has seen
I’m sure everyone has seen there own odd variations of sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, etc. However, there is always that one dish that makes you crick your neck like a dog hearing a noise for the first time. Some of them may be good, some of them may be bad. Luckily for me mine is good, well actually very good, every year my sister in law Jillian makes a pumpkin roll…and I know that may not be strange to most people, but remember I still get only ketchup on my cheeseburger. I remember having to be convinced to try it, and now it is one of the things I look forward to most at our family Thanksgiving. So don’t be afraid to try that dish you don’t recognize it’s Thanksgiving…eat it!
Turkey
What more needs to be said?
Friends, Family and Happiness
To be together with my family where we have a day with no appointments, work, bills, etc. is very relaxing and comforting. My father and I are the only sports fans in my family, yet on Thanksgiving we are sitting and watching football. It can be hard to spend time with family as much as we would like with our 24/7 society, but Thanksgiving shuts everything down in a good way. It makes everyone slow down a little bit and appreciate time with friends and family.
So this holiday, still enjoy your black Friday shopping and get some great deals for the Christmas season ahead, but don’t forget about the great holiday that is Thanksgiving! Go Lions!
