Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and connect. We gather together to connect with family and friends and reflect on the times that have already passed.
For reasons many of us cannot answer, turkey is always the main dish. Carving the turkey is something many families honor the eldest male with. In my family, a perfect cut is symbolic for a fresh start to the rest of the year.
Always a month before Christmas, we give thanks on Thanksgiving to the pilgrims who risked life and limb for generations to come. Maybe they were thinking about the future, but probably not. As selfish as people are nowadays, I’m sure that these pilgrims were simply trying to survive. They certainly had no intention of us stealing land and raping women and children to honor our predecessors.
So this Thanksgiving, just make sure you have some meaning behind the holiday. Of course, the main goal is to bring together family and friends around a large dinner table for an eight-course meal. But maybe you can try and add additional meaning, just like my family adds symbolism to the carving of the turkey.
-Samantha Silver
Sophomore