So that was Thanksgiving...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. As has been the tradition for a while, my parents hosted it. My two uncles came, as well as my older brother. We brought food to my aunt, who is paralyzed - she used to come and we would eat in the basement, where she could get her wheelchair in, but she decided it was too much of a hassle the last few years.

As a kid, Thanksgiving wasn't much of a big deal - you get a couple days off and eat turkey. I think, starting with college, my view of it changed - it was one of the first times I got to spend time with the family in the first semester, so it became more special. Now that I'm all growed up and living out of state, it's also one of the few times I get to see the family. In fact, I haven't been in NJ this year since the 4th of July, although both my parents and brother came down to MD to visit me late in the summer.

Aside from it's positioning, there are other reasons I like Turkey Day. It's the family element of Christmas without the stress of gifts or decorating or everything else(Instapundit says pretty much the same thing). While Christmas is supposed to be religious, it's hard for it not to be overtaken by the commercialism, even in my very Catholic family. Thanksgiving is just, well, Thanksgiving - good food and family and relaxation.

Thanksgiving break is also the perfect length - with Christmas, I get off until New Year's Day, which always brings up a dilemma - do I spend it with my family, who I don't see all that much, or do I spend it in Maryland, where all my stuff and my cat are? I do tend to get kind of bored after a few days in NJ. I'm thinking this year I may cut a few days off and try to visit more in the summer instead.

While the traditional dinner hasn't changed much, some things have. My parents are getting older - they are in their late 60's - and don't move as quickly as they used to. My brother and I ended pitching in quite a bit to help out - I stirred the stuffing, used the electric knife to carve the turkey and ham, and put away the leftovers, while my brother set the table and stirred the beans and helped clean up. My parents still did a lot of work to set everything up, and were up at 6am to put the turkey in, so our work pales in comparison. Still, it's good to feel like I helped out.