Opinion by J1 Reporter Carmen Miller

ANARCHY!

Imagine, if you will, a world where pastel eggs are hidden in October, fireworks are lit in March, massive turkey feasts prepared in June, and children trick-or-treat in August. How would we know when to buy chocolate for our Valentines? Or when to purchase sparkling cider for New Year’s Eve?

Without a proper holiday sequence, this would not be America as we know it.

Luckily, we are pretty good about giving each holiday a proper season for preparation. After one holiday is celebrated, we immediately begin to stress about the next one. This unspoken rule applies to every holiday on the American calendar, except for one.

After getting spooky on Halloween, there is a tendency for people to immediately begin to whip out their mistletoe and eggnog. While this isn’t toxic in itself, it diminishes the next holiday in the sequence, Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving has been a tradition in America since the beginning, deriving from when the Native Americans assisted the English settlers in their first harvest. Since then it has become a way for families and friends to come together and share a meal. Along with the turkey and cranberry sauce, often families have their own traditions such as playing football together or sharing family stories.

This holiday deserves its fair share in celebration because it is a way for families to spend quality time with each other. It is also a secular holiday, meaning that everyone can celebrate it regardless of their religion. Thanksgiving celebrates unity and diversity in our nation, which are some of the core values it was built on. Also, who doesn’t love pumpkin pie?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas as much as any person who loves receiving free things annually, but there is a time and place for everything.  If we sound the sleigh bells too early, they will overpower the sound of families laughing together as they enjoy each other’s company over a glorious feast.