‘Why do you eat turkey? That’s my question.’ My Australian friend Henry stared at me quizzically as he asked me his Thanksgiving question. I was at a very unpatriotic loss. Google soon filled me in on this technicality (it was simply the most convenient bird for the pilgrims to use at the time, and the tradition stuck). The definition of Thanksgiving itself is more elusive, however. Most Americans would agree that it is our holiday for being consciously thankful, spending time with loved ones and eating a wide variety of delicious food. In my opinion, Thanksgiving has an especially important meaning for teenagers. With the precarious balance of schoolwork, social life and (perhaps most importantly) sleep, we do not have much time to catch up with extended family or to reflect at length on what we are grateful for. Thanksgiving provides the unique opportunity to do just these things.
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