麻豆传媒AV

In this column, I鈥檝e dished out my fair share of 鈥渉ot takes.鈥� I鈥檝e expressed my disdain for prairie poutine, shallow beaches, and the lack of weekend haircut options. But what I鈥檓 about to say next is the most shocking opinion by far. It makes everything else I鈥檝e said seem tame. It鈥檚 not an opinion for the faint of heart. Are you ready? Are you sure? Alright, here it goes.

I don鈥檛 care much for Thanksgiving.

I鈥檒l give you a second to put your monocles back in place.

Now, it鈥檚 not like I hate Thanksgiving. Who could hate a holiday where you get to stuff your face with (mostly) delicious food? It鈥檚 just that I鈥檝e always found it a bit redundant.

Christmas is a mere two months away and it does everything Thanksgiving does, but even better. You get a massive dinner, time with loved ones and distant relatives, and presents. Plus, Christmas gets stretched out over several days, giving you plenty of time to gorge on all that food.聽

Also, there are far more classic Christmas movies than Thanksgiving ones. That鈥檚 just basic math.

I鈥檝e always thought October should be solely dedicated to Halloween. It should be a month of scary movies and copious amounts of candy. Thanksgiving feels like a detour from the spooky festivities.聽

Again, as I said, I don鈥檛 hate Thanksgiving. I appreciate its place as a somewhat non-denominational holiday that everyone can enjoy. I know people use it to reconnect with loved ones. It serves a purpose. It鈥檚 just never been my all-time favourite holiday.

Thanksgiving was on my mind all week. I was working this weekend covering drag queen dinners and out-of-town pumpkin patches. I didn鈥檛 have a lot of time to reflect, but on Friday night, it hit me: This is my first Thanksgiving away from home.

I鈥檝e spent my whole life in my home province of Nova Scotia. Wherever I was, whatever I was doing, I made time to go home for Thanksgiving. Even if I was only there for an afternoon, I made the trip. Thanksgiving might not mean much to me, but spending time with my family does.

But this year I couldn鈥檛 go home. I鈥檓 saving up for a trip over Christmas, so聽 I stayed in Saskatchewan for Thanksgiving. It鈥檚 the first one I鈥檝e ever missed.

I have a lot of friends from college and the world of journalism whose jobs have taken them around the world. Many of them miss big holidays for work. It can be tough to move out on your own. Nothing hammers in the sense of distance from your loved ones like missing a get-together. We鈥檙e doing jobs we love, but that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 always easy.

That鈥檚 the power of Thanksgiving. It鈥檚 not the food, or the traditions, or the after dinner naps. It鈥檚 reconnecting with your family. It鈥檚 taking a moment to catch your breath. Even if you only speak over the phone, it鈥檚 important to talk. I hope you paused during Thanksgiving. It matters.

Oh, by the way, I thought of one more thing I don鈥檛 like about Thanksgiving: Turkey. Could we eat a less dry bird?

Alright, please don鈥檛 send me too much hate mail.