Why Thanksgiving is better than Halloween

When I think of the end of the year, the holidays come to my mind immediately.  The joys of candy on Halloween, feasts on Thanksgiving, and gifts on Christmas all bring a smile to my face.  However, I think Thanksgiving is the best of them all.

Thanksgiving is a holiday dedicated to family gatherings full of delicious food, perfectly timed at the end of November to give students one final break before the Christmas rush begins.

Halloween is the complete opposite of Thanksgiving.  Families must come together to purchase or create costumes for children to spend one night walking around a neighborhood begging for candy.  

Thanksgiving is also perfectly juxtaposed in between Halloween and Christmas, two holidays that encourage the idea of receiving, whether it is candy or gifts.  Thanksgiving actually makes people step back and analyze the idea of being thankful.  

“I like Thanksgiving better than Halloween because you get to spend quality time with your family,” senior Ralph Shepard said.  

Compared to Halloween, Thanksgiving is an actual break on the school calendar, which makes for a nice, long five-day weekend.  Halloween is not truly a holiday since students have to go to school the next day.  And that day, too!

Thanksgiving gives students a small leap into the Christmas season excitement.  Halloween is on the last day of October which makes students wait a whole month of school before another break.

Thanksgiving is a stress-free day that all students deserve.  This holiday can be a day full of naps, watching football, making home-cooked foods or spending quality time with extended family members.  The beauty of this holiday is that people can make it a day of whatever you want it to be.  

“Thanksgiving is better because you don’t have to ask for food, you are given it,” freshman Jack Bullock said.

Thanksgiving also has the extra bonus of being a holiday designated for special fall homemade meals.  Turkey, pumpkin pie, potatoes and cranberry sauce are some of the special foods made for my family’s holiday gathering.  This food is especially made with love by family members who all try to pitch in and help.  

Traditions also run much deeper in this holiday compared to Halloween.  Extended family members all join in on the fun.

Every Thanksgiving my cousins and I choose a movie to watch in the theaters while my mom, aunt and grandmother finish the final touches on the food at the house.  My dad and uncle spend the time putting up Christmas lights.  My family has made this a tradition each year.   

“I think Thanksgiving is better because you get to see family and there is a lot more good food and dessert,” junior Annie Kelly said.    

Thanksgiving is also an all-inclusive holiday compared to Halloween.  Eventually in society, there is a point where it is no longer acceptable for a 17-year-old girl to be trick-or-treating by herself for candy.  Fortunately, one can never age out of the feast of dinner at Thanksgiving.  

Thanksgiving is a long deserved holiday to reconnect with family members and celebrate tradition.