This is for all those people that think Christmas should just be here already. It's not that I despise you, it's just that I desperately think Christmas is overrated in such a sense that we forget about Thanksgiving. Which happens to have a very important meaning too!

You see, Thanksgiving is the most important time of the year to be thankful for something. It's the one holiday that recognizes thankfulness in which America tends to take for granted. While we sit down to eat at the dinner table with family and friends, many are not so fortunate around the world. Smelling turkey and eating all the home fixings not only symbolizes the long ago day when the Pilgrims gathered together to show their thankfulness after a hard year, but also gives a time of the year specifically dedicated to how thankful we should be.

While Christmas is a time to pass around presents and to make those lists of everything you want, Thanksgiving gives a whole new meaning to family and friends. Friendsgiving is a time when friends gather to reminisce about the old memories shared together. The holiday weekend shows a time when we all gather around a table to enjoy everybody's best cooking and gives us a time to catch up with each other.

No one has to worry about decorations or getting those lights strung up around the house. No one has to compete for the bigger and better lighting display. What is Santa Claus going to give me this year isn't a question. Presents aren't being shaken up to see if one can guess what is inside. Thanksgiving requires nothing special. No decorations, light wars, or self-centeredness. It's where family traditions truly come into effect.

Watch football or the Macy's Day parade. Cook the meal together. Break the wishbone. Play cards. Go around the table saying what you are thankful for. Family traditions are perfect for making a good excuse to your family's quirkiness. They can bring the family together to make the memories that last a lifetime.

So this holiday season I encourage you to think of each holiday individually as it comes first. Stop worrying about Christmas trees, Christmas music, and Christmas presents. Instead, think about what kind of dish you're going to make to share this Thanksgiving. Then when Black Friday comes, you can start to enjoy the Christmas spirit. Give to charities or shop until you drop, but remember Thursday comes before Friday! Turkey's before trees.

So sit down. Enjoy the pumpkin pie. Christmas will come before you can say snow! Don't worry about where the perfect place is to put a tree. Instead relax, enjoy, and be thankful. You have family and friends to share all this food with. Eat it!