Halloween may have passed, but there's still one more holiday we need to celebrate before Christmas season officially begins. Here's some reasons to be thankful for Thanksgiving:

1. Spending Time With Your Friends and Family

Maybe your dad's entire side of the family crams around your dining table, only to have 4 people asking you to pass the mashed potatoes at the same time. Maybe it's just you and a loved one together eating pizza because the turkey was burned (again). Maybe you're over at a distant relative's house, forced to discuss school and why you still don't have a boyfriend with your great aunt. No matter your plans for the holiday, it's a great time to reconnect and spend time with those you love.

2. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

From the classic balloons and floats, to some new boyband making an appearance with bad lipsyncing, to the talented marching bands from across the country that have worked so very hard to be featured in New York on television, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a longstanding tradition on this day off. What's your favorite part of the show?

3. The National Dog Show

Immediately following the parade is the highlight of the holiday for any dog lover (especially my mom). It's always a treat to see countless different breeds showcased on national television. You can root for your favorite... but they're all so cute!

4. Getting a Mini-Vacation

Who can complain about a long weekend? No school! Take the time to relax and reconnect with yourself and those around you... and maybe binge-watch a couple shows you want to catch up on.

5. Food. Period.

One of the things Thanksgiving is known for is the immense amount of food that everyone eats on this holiday. Whether your favorite is the cranberries, mashed potatoes, turkey, or a special recipe unique to your family, it's one of the few days where it's alright to cheat that diet you're on.

6. The Official Beginning of Christmastime

I don't care what anyone says, the "most wonderful time of the year" does not begin until Santa arrives at the conclusion of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That period of time between Halloween and then? It falls under Thanksgiving's jurisdiction. It gives us a clear line of exactly when is too soon to put up that tree (when in doubt, yes, it is too soon). Let the pilgrims and turkey have their day.

7. Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Without Thanksgiving, we wouldn't know when the official start of the Christmas shopping season is! Although it's not exactly cheery to have a violent battle over a flatscreen the day after we're supposed to be thankful for what we have in our lives, those deals are sometimes too great to resist. It's a real lifesaver when it comes to checking off everything on your Christmas shopping list, no matter how corrupt we are as a society.

8. Being Thankful

I believe this is the most important part of the Thanksgiving holiday. No matter who you spend it with, or where you are, Thanksgiving makes us stop and appreciate the people and opportunities we have been blessed with in our lives. Many of us take what we have in our lives for granted the other 364 days of the year, so it's nice to have at least that one day of complete appreciation.

Maybe that's why we need Thanksgiving after all. Without it, we would lose the holiday where we celebrate the goodness in our lives, and in doing so, lose our opportunity to live life to the fullest.