1. Thanksgiving is less about family and more about holiday shopping.
Since Black Friday has become such a big deal in America, some people completely skip Thanksgiving in order to get ready for it. I must admit that I have gone shopping (and worked) on Black Friday, but I will always be way more excited to spend time with my family on Thanksgiving.
2. Holidays consist of less people.
When I was younger, my family celebrated Thanksgiving day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with almost all of my extended family. Now, Thanksgiving consists of a small portion of my extended family and our family Christmas party is celebrated a couple weeks in advanced. Christmas day is now a day for my immediate family to spend time together.
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3. Holiday gifts become more expensive.
As I've grown up, my wish list has become a lot shorter and a lot more expensive. I used to ask for dolls and toys out of a Toys "R" Us catalog, but now I ask for brand-name clothing, shoes or new forms of technology. I also never felt the need to buy gifts for people up until a few years ago.
4. Family feels far more important.
Since I'm away at college for a majority of the year, spending time with my family is more of a priority than it used to be. Christmas morning has always felt magical to me, but now I am more excited to have family time than to actually receive my presents.
5. Giving presents feels better than receiving presents.
Don't get me wrong, I still love opening up presents on Christmas morning. However, in the past few years, I've gotten my family and some friends Christmas gifts, and I must admit that giving presents is one of the better feelings in this world. Making someone else happy feels so amazing, and in the end, that makes me happy.
