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KIRAN BRAR | STAFF REPORTER | kbrar@butler.edu 

Every holiday season there is a debate of whether or not the Christmas season starts immediately after Halloween, on Nov. 1 or after Thanksgiving. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Christmas music, decorations and movies just as much as the next person, but there needs to be a holiday of thankfulness before there is a holiday of giving — here is why.

Thanksgiving is made up of the perfect elements: reuniting with family and friends, gratitude and an enormous amount of food. Joining family for a holiday based on food is an incredibly comforting way to begin the holidays, and Friendsgiving has become very popular for those who might not be close with family. Whether you celebrate with friends, family or both, Thanksgiving allows for a great time around the people you love.

Thanksgiving is based on expressing gratitude and giving thanks. This is the one day set aside for us to give extra thought to our blessings, so it is important to give this holiday its own spotlight. This intimate aspect of Thanksgiving is important for people to reflect on before the bustle of the Christmas season approaches and the year winds down to an end. 

What ties it all together? The food. 

Food brings people together and reminds us what we are grateful for — the beauty of Thanksgiving. Whether you enjoy the main dish, the sides or desserts, there is always something for everyone to enjoy during a Thanksgiving feast. 

These elements of Thanksgiving need their time to shine before the Christmas season rolls around. The Christmas themed drinks and cups from Starbucks can wait. “Deck the Halls” and other Christmas songs can wait. And Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas can definitely wait.

If we overlook Thanksgiving, not only do we miss out on some great aspects of this holiday, but we also drag along the Christmas season. Christmas is commercialized much earlier than it needs to be, which adds pressure to buy gifts before there is a chance to relax during Thanksgiving. There needs to be time for relaxation before the gift buying hustle begins. Along with that, Christmas music and movies start to get redundant after a while; you can only listen to the same songs and watch the same movies for so long. 

Two months allotted for Christmas only makes the holiday not so special, so there needs to be time for Thanksgiving to have its spotlight before the Christmas season begins.