The first day of fall is always one of the most exciting days of the year because its coming means “Hallothanksmas” is finally upon us. But if I’m being honest, it may as well be “Hallomas.”
Aside from eating so much turkey that you slip into a food coma, what makes Thanksgiving so special?
The day after Halloween is when the Christmas celebration starts for many people. The colorful lights, animated inflatables and holiday sugar cookies all make their grand reappearance, and it’s magical.
Thanksgiving just doesn’t measure up.
I love that we get a much-needed break from school, work and other responsibilities, but to me, it’s just that.
Thanksgiving in 2016 is about being thankful for everything you have and being grateful for friends and family. It also involves leaving the house right after you eat dinner to go bombard Wal-Mart and Target to buy more material things that you can be grateful for.
But the history that we’ve been taught about the Thanksgiving holiday is not the truth. We’re not celebrating the pilgrims’ first feast in the New World. The history books left out important information about the origin of this holiday.
Thanksgiving is a holiday that stems from the genocide and assimilation, or ethnic cleansing, of the Native Americans who first occupied America before white puritans took advantage of them.
The story that we’ve been told since we were 5 years old is that the pilgrims and the Indians met, became friends and had a huge feast.
This version of the story is what I would call sugar-coated.
The Indians and Puritans were brought together because of their mutual need for resources, but as history will tell you, white puritans can’t be trusted.
After learning the ways of the land and how to reap the benefits of the resources the indigenous people had been living off of for years, these “pilgrims” decided that the Native Americans were “uncivilized, satanic heathens.”
It’s funny how they reached this conclusion after learning how to survive from these same people.
White settlers descended on Indian villages, setting them on fire and shooting any survivors, including children.
So why are we celebrating a day of terror and genocide as a day of thanks?
So yes, my Christmas celebration starts Nov. 1, and I don’t see any harm in that. You can still carry on with your Thanksgiving festivities while I casually mount Christmas lights on every inch of wall in my house.
Bring on the hot chocolate, the Christmas edition soundtracks and most of all, a holiday everyone can enjoy.
Brianna Rhymes is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from New Iberia, Louisiana.