Thankful for Thanksgiving

I’m thankful for Thanksgiving. I know that sounds dumb. Let me explain.

I’ve been in academia for most of the last 23 years in roles as student, staff, and faculty. Here in the United States, Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday of November. In American colleges and universities, the fall semester usually starts in late August or early September and ends in early to mid-December (a minority of institutions have quarters or trimesters, but I have thankfully been spared such madness).

What I’m getting at is this: Thanksgiving is the perfect time to stop and catch your breath before the last weeks of the semester, weeks that usually include a bizarre ritual of academic sadomasochism for both students and faculty: Finals Week.

So, I’m thankful for Thanksgiving as an important moment of respite in the rhythm of academic life. It’s a time to pause, reflect, be grateful, and, of course, eat a lot.

Another thing Thanksgiving gives me time to do is write blog posts!  Here are some of my Thanksgiving posts from previous years: "Giving Thanks for Philosophy, Science Fiction, and Good People," "I'm Thankful for my Regrets", and "Believe -- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade."

Happy Thanksgiving!


EDIT: Another thing you might do with some extra time is to reflect on the troubling history of colonizers' relations with the indigenous peoples of North America. In particular, the cheery story of natives and pilgrims many Americans learn is at best incomplete and probably just wrong. Check out this article for ideas: "How to Support Indigenous People on Thanksgiving."