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Cora McClain<\/strong> | Editor-in-Chief<\/span><\/p>\n So it\u2019s November, which means the most family-centric holiday is right around the corner. It\u2019s a wonderfully festive time that brings people together through love and thankfulness. That\u2019s right \u2014 it\u2019s Christmas (and other winter holidays).<\/span><\/p>\n Almost as soon as the Halloween decorations come down, they are replaced with dreidels, kinaras and stockings. Nov. 1 seems to signify the changing of holiday seasons as Michael Bubl\u00e9\u2019s velvety pipes belt out \u201cIt\u2019s Beginning To Look A Lot\u00a0 Like Christmas\u201d over the speakers in public places. November has turned into a month-long preparation for the winter holidays, specifically Christmas, and overlooks a special little day on the fourth Thursday of November, where families gather around and gorge on carbs and turkey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While the origins of Thanksgiving are not the best \u2014 and poorly represented \u2014 the meaning of modern Thanksgiving has come to signify the gathering of family. Sure, Christmas is about gathering family too (as it is an aspect of any holiday) but just because Christmas is branded better, with more celebrity cover albums than I can count and a crazy man who climbs down chimneys and eats cookies as a mascot, it shouldn\u2019t overshadow Thanksgiving. If anything, Thanksgiving just hasn\u2019t been given enough branding to make it any more than a fly-over holiday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I mean, are there any Thanksgiving-themed songs? Adam Sandler\u2019s \u201cThe Thanksgiving Song\u201d doesn\u2019t count. What about Thanksgiving-themed movies? Even if there is just one or two, they can\u2019t possibly outweigh the massive amount of Christmas-themed-and-adjacent movies, TV shows and other entertainment media. Without these forms of media, it becomes easy to skip over Thanksgiving, as if it doesn\u2019t exist. However, Thanksgiving still deserves recognition and celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n From good food to appreciation, Thanksgiving has a lot to offer as a holiday. Whether the Thanksgiving table is filled with mashed potatoes and gravy or kimchi and jeon, just being around a table of good food, no matter the food, honors the holiday. More important than the food on the table (I know, nothing is more important than food) are the people around the table.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Extended family, close family and found family in friends all make the holiday what it truly is. Spending quality time with people, whether in constant contact or only seeing them every-so-often, makes Thanksgiving a holiday worth celebrating.<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, the \u201cgiving thanks\u201d aspect of Thanksgiving allots the holiday its own spin on the \u201cfamily gathering\u201d facet of every holiday. Just like how Christmas\u2019 gimmick is giving presents, Thanksgiving is all about taking a moment to reflect on the good things in life. Reflecting on the positivity like this is something special that Thanksgiving is centered on. While it may not seem important, taking a serious look at all there is to be thankful for can be very encouraging in troubling times, and maybe people need a little more positive reflection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n