Cultural Event #5 Pass the Gravey, Please

I think that I have finally come out the food coma that I put myself in about a week ago.

The culmination of the week back home was centered on the annual holiday where everybody dedicates on day to give thanks for the lives and fortunes that they take for granite the other 364 days of the year. This holiday in America is known as Thanksgiving, and although its history compared to other holidays is probably the most jaded, pilgrims dining with ever-grateful Indians (AKA: imperialist taking land from a native people but giving them a turkey and shiny things) thanksgiving to me continue to be the purist modern holiday that I currently involve myself in.

Thanksgiving in its modern form is positioned in the beautiful harvest seasons, were the ever-changing weather takes precedent on the leaves and nature outdoors. As winter begins to creep in to the for front the seasonal year, one is greeted with a week off of school, time with your family and a sizeable meal. All this for comparatively less pressure and hassle by major corporations to spend money and celebrate than another holiday. This thanksgiving was like most for me, the build up was rather low key, and all of my immediate family is a relatively close car ride away so traveling is never an issue. A well time shopping trip by my Mom usually stocks the refrigerator for the day and we are set.

The day of thanksgiving for me this year started as I briefly checked out the annual parade on TV, then rode my bike from my hometown of Rocklin California to my grandparents, 15 miles up the road in Auburn. The picture perfect day was accompanied by some lonely back roads and wonderful aromas of baking along the way to their house, I made just a quick stop their lasting about an hour of chatting and then headed home to my other grandparents house in Rocklin. The dinner was full of ordurves, like cheeses and olives, then the usual suspects of turkey, stuffing, green beans, and pie. Than a football game on the television as every one simply sits with each other caring on conversation and playing board games.

In a nut shell the paragraph above explains exactly why thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It seems so hassle free to me. It is not yet taking over by card companies or other promotional businesses, rather it is very simply. Spend time with your family, eat good food, watch sport, and realize what you take for granite through out the year.