Now that Halloween is over, everybody typically looks forward to what they consider to be the next holiday: Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, Christmas is one of the best holidays of the year in my opinion, but there are so many reasons why Thanksgiving is something that everybody should be looking forward to. Here are some reasons why you should be looking forward to Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks rather than already looking forward to Christmas.

1. Gravy

Gravy is one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving, and in general is one of the most underrated foods. One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving is getting my plate full of mashed potatoes, turkey, and green beans and drowning all of my food in delicious gravy. Honestly, why do people only eat gravy around Thanksgiving time?

2. Football

Okay, not everybody is a football fan, but if your team plays on Thanksgiving it only makes the day better to have a game to look forward to. Even if your team doesn’t play, it is still fun to watch and see how other teams do. Not a football fan? This is your perfect opportunity to pass out on the couch after your meal (see number 6).

3. Dessert

News flash: Pie is not the only dessert you can have on Thanksgiving. Even though pie is delicious and magnificent, there are so many desserts that you can enjoy on Thanksgiving. I know everybody looks forward to the turkey on Thanksgiving, but don’t forget the desserts are important as well. Above are my aunt’s famous turkey cookies, and they’re super easy to make!

4. Family and Friends

Family and friends are the true meaning of Thanksgiving, and it is always great to be able to see them on this day. Even though Grandpa usually ends up snoring on the couch after the meal, it’s still great being able to see everybody on Thanksgiving.

5. Telling everybody you’re thankful for them

Want to make other people feel good on Thanksgiving? Send out a text to your closest friends and family and let them know that you’re thankful for them. It will make them feel appreciated and make you happy knowing you have such amazing people in your life.

6. Food Coma Induced Naps

Enough said. There is no nap in the world more satisfying than when you’re so full you can no longer move. Grab a warm blanket, lay on the couch and nap for a couple hours. When you wake up, eat more. Repeat.

7. Helping out in the kitchen

Okay, not the most exciting thing in the world, but you can actually learn quite a lot from helping out in the kitchen. Don’t know how to cook? You can learn on Thanksgiving. It will really help whoever is making the meal be less stressed.

8. Black Friday

Black Friday is finally here the day after Thanksgiving, and who doesn’t love to shop? Just make sure you’re spending enough time with family and friends instead of leaving for the mall at 8 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

9. Dressing up

This isn’t something that everybody does for Thanksgiving necessarily, but if

you’re looking for an excuse to buy another cute sweater dress or scarf to wear on Thanksgiving, now you can! Not only is Thanksgiving a good excuse for you to buy a new dress, but now you can get the perfect Instagrammable picture with your family. You can find sweater dresses, scarves, and cute tops for cheap(perfect for college students) at Forever 21 and Charlotte Russe.

10. Turkey

You probably saw this one coming. I don’t know about anybody else, but anytime I eat turkey throughout the year it’s always on a sandwich, so I always look forward to the tender, juicy, and delicious shaved turkey that is served on Thanksgiving.

Overall, there are so many reasons why Thanksgiving should be looked forward to instead of skipping right to Christmas. After all, who wouldn’t look forward to spending time with awesome people and delicious food?