Americans Love Thanksgiving
“What’s your favorite holiday?” is one of the random questions I send to my peeps on Twitter. I’ve never actually tallied the answers, but if I had to bet, I would say Thanksgiving is the number one holiday for most of my American peeps. My international peeps respond to that same question with some truly lovely vacation spots.
We love Thanksgiving because it’s simply about getting together with friends and family, and eating wonderful food that’s thankfully calorie-free on this day. We may watch football or even have a family tradition to play a game. We may watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade while we are cooking. Thanksgiving isn’t about presents or decorations or office parties, which can actually add stress. Instead, it’s a holiday that focuses only on what really matters – the people in our lives. Last year, we took a Thanksgiving survey. The results were both surprising and not-so-surprising.
Holiday Expectations & Button Pushers
However, since Thanksgiving is full of family and our closest friends, that also means we are closer than ever to our button-pushers. Most of us have an idealistic vision of Thanksgiving that the holiday probably won’t live up too. Something unexpected happens. Someone will drink too much and create a scene, someone will say something you didn’t want to hear, or someone will act in a way that you think they shouldn’t. That’s most family gatherings – and since we’re together more during than holidays, our buttons can get pushed more often. And if we’re completely honest we are probably pushing someone else’s buttons too.
If you can, try to minimize your expectations and idealistic visions. Instead just enjoy the moments as they happen. The chaos will become the stories told for years to come and if you let go of your expectations you’ll leave room for a few unexpected surprises. And you can always limit time with button-pushers.
Thanksgiving is about remembering who and what you are thankful for. When you interact with your loved ones, think about the things they do that make you smile. It’s these memories that fill your heart with love because it is the most thankful time of year.
We love to share at the Society and we want to know,
“What’s Your Favorite Holiday Tradition?
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Written by Pamela Gail
Pamela Gail Johnson founded the Society of Happy People in 1998.
The Society is grounded on Pamela’s four key Practical Happiness Principles:
Pamela identified 31 Types of Happiness that are on the SOHP App Happiness Counter to make it easier to recognize moments of happiness.
Pamela also plans and organizes the Society of Happy People's annual happiness celebrations:
She's also a speaker, trainer, and author.
A few of her personal smile starters include her monthly book club, yoga, traveling and meeting new happy people.
Watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. But most of all my favorite tradition is having dinner with my family. My mom and dad, husband, daughter and son-in-law, son and daughter-in-law, and my three beautiful grandsons! I so love my family! I am thankful they are here!