In Defense of the Feast

November at last! The days are shorter, the nights are colder, and the anticipation of the Christmas season has begun. For some, the start of November marks the unofficial beginning of holiday shopping, Hallmark movies, and hot chocolate. I am as eager as anyone to usher in the Advent season and all it entails. But let us not overlook the abundance in front of us in our hurried excitement for what is to come. 

Thanksgiving has largely become little more than the starting line for the holiday sprint to Christmas. Why, after all, must we have a day dedicated to feasting? It is far more exciting to anticipate the gifts, the carols, and the celebration of Christ’s birth than to stress about overcooking the turkey or whether that one uncle will voice his controversial political opinions at the table. For some, if it weren’t for the football game, the day might even feel skippable.

Yet, it is part of our culture to gather around a table before we gather around a tree, and we should not disregard the sacredness of this tradition. Feasting is central to what it means to live a full human life, and Thanksgiving Day is an occasion to pause, receive, and delight in the abundance of existence.