On these brisk November days, when it is far too cold out to want to leave the dorm and the wind has whittled any smile off my face, I often find myself laying face up on my mattress and thinking about our upcoming Thanksgiving break that is feeling more and more necessary by the hour.
It’s the paradoxical feeling of lethargy and laziness from the monsoon of work that can drown us on a weekly basis. More often than not, it feels like it would be easier to evaporate into thin air and refuse to do the given tasks at hand. And in all my thinking that has been done while looking at blank Google Docs and half-annotated books, it is vitally important to know that you deserve this break. Furthermore it is important that we celebrate it, together, as a country.
Thanksgiving itself has not always been celebrated. In October 1863, 16th president Abraham Lincoln was frail and tired. It was during the height of the American Civil War and a time of political polarization never seen in the new-yet-divided country. America, the supposed guinea pig of democracy, looked to be crumbling in front of the president’s eyes, and 50,000 American civilians had just died in the Battle of Gettysburg three months prior. Although a “national day of thanksgiving” had been called by President George Washington 78 years earlier, President Lincoln issued a proclamation calling for the last Thursday of November to be set aside as a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise” on Oct. 3rd, 1863. It was time for the fractured union to sit down and remember that it is “we the people” that should be most important.
We cannot sugarcoat history and cannot gloss over parts, either. Thanksgiving, to many, is a tricky holiday to celebrate. Although colloquially communicated as a holiday based in gratitude, giving back and the start of the holiday season, it’s also important to acknowledge that it’s a holiday that marks the start of an American era of colonization and the Native American genocide. Looking back at “the first Thanksgiving” in 1621, we know not all is as it seems, and it is critical that we as a society are not naive to our own history. But alas, as I sit here writing now, with final assignments and the overtly depressing article by The New York Times piling up in my inbox, I really do think we need Thanksgiving more than ever.
While no civil war is currently bludgeoning our union, the political divide and unrest is at an absolute fever pitch. Never since the Civil War has it seemed like both sides of the political aisle have wanted to rip each other’s throat out, and never in any American’s lifetime has it seemed so evident that no one wants to get along. It feels like America got 250 years in and decided to self-destruct. I do not like to feed into pessimism, nihilism or any belief that nothing’s worth saving, but truth be told: I am stressed, scared and, if anything, tired.
If you feel this way too, it is justifiable and a further reason why we need to celebrate Thanksgiving. This year, use the holiday to reflect. Reflect on our country’s history: ugly, flawed and yet hopeful. Be a historian. Understand the shortcomings of the nation but also perhaps of your own self.
And of course, remember to be Lincoln. Out of breath and overcome by fear, don’t forget that in this time of chaos, it is ok to sit down and rest. And do not just rest to rest, but enjoy the rest, Huskies. We may not be running countries or fighting wars, but this world is as much yours as anyone else’s. Enjoy your break because you studied until the deep hours of the night. Because you advocated for what you thought was correct. Because you are proud of the work you did. Come together with family and friends during this sandwich between now and finals, know what we can do better in the new year ahead and know for certain that you deserve this break.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.