Shila Gill
Saturated with a consumption and consumerism, Thanksgiving has drifted from its ostensible objective—pausing to be grateful—to become something bordering on the gluttonous.
Imagine having a day dedicated to stress and wasted money with the product of what can be defined as, at best, mediocre food. Surprise, we do: it’s known as Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was a day in 1621 when the Pilgrims of Plymouth and the Wampanoag Native Americans shared a feast that saved the Pilgrims from starvation, marking this day as a day to give thanks. But after this feast, the Pilgrims began to grow in numbers. So what better way to show their gratitude to the Wampanoag Native Americans than to wipe them out? This holiday is just another instance of Americans idolizing themselves as heroes by covering the blood they have spilled and villainizing even those who helped them. This turn of events was disgusting, much like the current holiday.
America has a history of squashing others’ voices and Thanksgiving is no different. It celebrates Pilgrims with no mind to the sacrifices made by Native Americans. We supposedly gathered around to give thanks to the Pilgrims who allowed our modern lifestyle to be possible. But should we really be thanking those who started us off on the foot of bloodshed and backstabbing?
Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day when we gather with our loved ones and eat the same foods as the Pilgrims once did, but even this is inaccurate. The foods are not the same and the main staple of Thanksgiving is the turkey, which the Pilgrims likely didn’t even eat. It has evolved from a harvest festival, to a religious gathering, to nothing more than a holiday that has lost its true meaning.
Imagine going to crowded and chaotic stores to spend ridiculous amounts of money on one meal, only to then have to go home to cook said meal, spending hours in the kitchen so that by the time it’s done and you are ready to sit and eat you’re exhausted.
A month later is Christmas, and other winter religious holidays, so why not wait for these far superior holidays to come around? Unlike Thanksgiving, winter holidays are not solely based on one meal that celebrates “unity” for those, but only for those who have a big enough bank account to spend a ridiculous amount of money and time on a feast that will be over within a matter of a couple hours, filled with overeating to the point of discomfort.
Some obsess over this fall holiday- social media has run with it, turning it into something that is meant to be seen as “aesthetic.” It has diverted from its main purpose of giving thanks and being grateful. Now it’s only important how visually pleasing each of the dishes looks so they can be added to a Pinterest board and posted online. The core of Thanksgiving has just turned into angles, likes and views. And that’s no holiday I will give thanks to.