With headlines all over about the financial mess and how bad the economic is (and will be), many of us feel a sense of doubt about the future. Thanksgiving is coming up, and it’s easy to feel less excited about the idea of celebration when our retirement savings, investments and emergency funds depleting every day. Don’t feel too bad though, because we are all in the same boat. I feel the pinch as well in this bad economic times, but I will be celebrating thanksgiving more than ever. Here are a couple of reasons why we should do so:
Thanksgiving is About What We Have
When the holiday started, it was celebrated at the end of the harvest season to be thankful for the possession that we have. It also signified the start of the holiday season where families start gathering at home with friends to have a holiday feast, chatting about the seasons hard work and reminding themselves that family is the most important treasure that we have.
Despite the fact that many of us lost a ton of confidence in our economy, we as a nation have persistence and the will to succeed like no other. We will get out of this mess and will prosper again. As our ancestors will say:
As long as we still have our hands and feet, years of fruitful harvests will come
It’s About Sharing
While there is no excuse to be out of touch during the year, Thanksgiving gives us a chance to share with our family like no other (similar to how birthdays give us an chance to give gifts). It’s a time where we all gather and be back in the comfort of our own families and realize that yes, we aren’t alone.
It’s About That Turkey
That’s right. A huge part of thanksgiving is about that delicious turkey. It’s always fun whenever someone comes up with an improved way of fixing the turkey.
While searching on the internet, I found some tips for roasting a turkey. Here are some highlights:
- Buy the best quality turkey available (organic, free-range, etc.)
- Cook it breast-side down
- Cook the turkey stuffing separately because it is easier to cook the turkey more evenly.
I love eating turkey. Yay.
It’s Still About the Turkey Creating the Comforting Outlook
Self-fulfilling prophecy is an interesting phenomenon. When we hear about all these headlines, we will stop spending and in effect slow the economy even more.
Confidence works the same way. When we lose confidence, we will not act intelligently will lead less desired results, lowering our confidence even more.
Celebrate Thanksgiving this year and remember again of what our ancestors would say.
As long as we have our hands and feet, we will prosper.
{ read the comments below or add one }
Just keep religion out of Thanksgiving
We all have so much to be thankful for. Here in Australia, many of us have been very lucky so far with the financial crisis and I see news from your country that so many people are hungry. I am so grateful for what I have and I intend to continue to live the best life I can in order not to waste it.
Cute crossouts there – subliminal messages? 🙂
Think how many years the people of the USA have been celebrating Thanksgiving – it’s not about one year, it’s about tradition.
So Enjoy family. And if you grab the veggies out of the garden, all you’ll be paying for is the turkey, some flour, shortening for pie crusts, milk, butter, spices, and cranberries 🙂 If it’s mostly homemade, the cost is not much. 🙂
And look at those brussel sprouts. I hated brussel sprouts until two years ago when a friend made a simple and wonderful batch. Just trim the edges and get rid of brown leaves, then toss with olive oil, chopped garlic and pepper. Roast in a nice hot oven (400 or so?) on a pan until they are almost BLACK, I tell you. Sprinkle with some sea salt and enjoy. If you thought you didn’t like brussel sprouts, you’ll be stunned at how tasty these are.
yummy turkey. i’m drooling. 🙂
Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays of the year. Definitely celebrate it. We all have, no matter what is going on, so much to be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving.
Jerry: We are definitely fortunate. Many people in this world wouldn’t even know about the financial crisis because they don’t even have access to TVs.
Jodi and Susy: Yes, celebrate thanksgiving for sure.
Aya: No it’s never too soon. I’m sure that people will start to think about how they plan to celebrate Thanksgiving and everything pretty soon. This is especially true for the people that need to travel to see family etc.
I like that you associate Thanksgiving with finances; I agree with your points that we should be appreciating what we have and we should be sharing and such. Plus, I’ve been reading so many blogs about having a frugal thanksgiving and how people can feel good about having a great time with friends and family without spending so much by eating in. I hope you have a good Thanksgiving.. (Is it too soon to be saying that…?)
I’m with Jerry. We really so much better off than the rest of the world. I always feel angry when people start saying that they’ve lost so much but never realized how lucky they are to even have a place to complain.
I’m definitely celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Thanks for the post.
Thank you for this. I currently live in Eastern Europe and I see a lot of people here who have much less than we do. Even in our desperate times (such as now) we’re better off than most of the world. I hope this new administration truly does lead to change and I hope we can live responsibly and gratefully. It’s our insurance for our future.
Thanks for the encouragement. I seriously contemplated about not celebrating this year but now I remember all the good times that we had doing this.
Thank you for the post.