In short, no. Historically, Thanksgiving is a celebration of the pilgrims’ excruciating voyage across the Atlantic for religious freedom, and we use this holiday to honor the courage and perseverance that allowed them to reach Plymouth Rock in 1620. Though this is an entirely valid argument, I believe that Thanksgiving has become bigger than the pilgrims ever were.

As the weather gets cold and seasonal depression becomes prevalent, especially with Michigan’s harsh winters, it’s easy to lose sight of the positives in one life. Thanksgiving allows us to take a step back and reminisce about what we are thankful for, surrounded by the people we are most grateful for. If we do not continue to encourage the practice of gratuity, people could potentially lose sight of what to be thankful for. This would lead to the materialistic wants of Christmas overtaking the idea of a family holiday (if you practice Catholicism of course), which could potentially domino effect into other holidays as well.

Thanksgiving also gives students the chance to take a break since it’s the first holiday of the school year. Though three days might not be considered much, it allows students to take some time off and spend it with the people closest to them, or extended family members that they might not see as often. Regardless of how students choose to spend it, Thanksgiving is a timeless holiday and deserves to be treated as such.