What I'm Most Thankful for on Thanksgiving

It's is my favorite holiday, so what I'm most thankful for on Thanksgiving is the holiday itself. It's a blessing on so many levels. Here are just a few of them.

You can never have too many cooks

I love to cook, but making Thanksgiving dinner is a big job if you're going to do it right. It's one time when, as host, you can comfortably ask guests to help out by bringing something. Often, they insist.

This year, my husband and I were planning on having just my sister over for dinner. She volunteered to make her signature cranberry sauce and bake an apple pie. Unfortunately, due to caution over COVID-19, we decided not to get together. If we had, even though I was only going to be cooking for three, I wasn't expected to do everything myself.

When it comes to the menu, everybody everywhere is on the same page

There are regional twists, dietary restrictions, and personal touches, but there's a consensus nationwide on the menu. From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters, everyone has pretty much the same thing, down to the side dishes and desserts. It's a miracle if you think about it. As a uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving is relatively immune from outside influences.

Oh, sure. If your family is Italian, you may start with an antipasto platter, and Mama may sneak in a little pasta (okay, maybe a lot of pasta), but the main event is still going to star turkey and pumpkin pie. Imagine if you tried to institute a holiday with such uniformity today. It could never happen. There'd be lawsuits.

On Thanksgiving, we welcome the stranger

If someone invites you over to share their holiday meal, it isn't at all weird, like it might be on Christmas or Easter. At Thanksgiving, we are more likely to invite outsiders or "orphans" into our family group.

One of my most memorable Thanksgivings was when my husband and I introduced his co-worker and his family to the holiday. They were from India and had never had Thanksgiving dinner before. It was fascinating seeing the holiday through new eyes. We all had a wonderful time.

You don't ever have to be alone on Thanksgiving

No family? No problem. Make a plan with a friend who has nowhere to go either and dine with them. Even better, volunteer to serve Thanksgiving dinner at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. It will be a lesson in gratitude you won't soon forget.

Church isn't part of the program

Thanksgiving is not overtly religious. If you're not a church-goer, there's no sunrise service or midnight mass to worry about. It's always on Thursday, so the "Get Out of Church Free" card is baked into the holiday. The most anyone will ask is that you sit silently for a few moments while they say grace. Okay, you may have to hold hands with those seated next to you as they do it, but it's a small price to pay for mash potatoes and gravy.

You don't have to break the bank

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of a Thanksgiving feast this year is less than $5 per person. That's down 4% from last year. (At last, some good news for 2020!)

There are no stockings to stuff or baskets to fill. If you're asked to contribute to the meal, an inexpensive bottle of wine or a 2-liter bottle of soda is a perfectly respectable offering. You might even already have some paper plates at home that would be welcome. Unless you insist on a "heritage bird" or oyster dressing, Thanksgiving is fairly inexpensive as holidays go. In fact, I usually get my turkey free when I spend a certain amount at the supermarket in the weeks before the holiday.

And last, but not least...

Thanksgiving is simplicity itself

It's just dinner. You show up; you eat, and you go home. (Unless you're the Kennedys, then you'll have to play touch football.) Some people watch a game on TV after they eat, but if you don't want to, they'll hardly notice when you sneak out the back door. If you're lucky, you'll be given some leftovers to take with you. It doesn't get any better than that.