The Simplicity of Thanksgiving

Posted by Shelah | November 25, 2008 | 13 Comments

Back in my undergraduate days, I took a Shakespeare course like every other English major. And just like everyone else, we read Macbeth and King Lear. When I was doing research for my paper on King Lear, I remember reading lots of sources that called it Shakespeare’s “most important” dramatic work. I couldn’t decide what to write about, because there was just so much going on– should I focus on the pagan symbolism? The Christian symbolism? The familial relationships? And it was just so long and convoluted that frankly, I was glad to be done reading it. Macbeth, on the other hand, wasn’t as well-regarded by scholars, but it followed a linear progression, which made it easy to read (it’s short too, which is always good). It was essentially about one thing– a couple’s blind ambition. While both plays were emotionally charged, one was beautiful for its complexities, the other for its simplicities.

I went grocery shopping this morning, and unless I’d checked my calendar before leaving the house, I would have been quite sure I had landed smack in the middle of December. Christmas carols blared over the loudspeaker, the shelf stockers wore Santa hats, and the florist section was full of poinsettias. It took me a while to locate the lone display of Thanksgiving paper plates. Thanksgiving always gets short shrift, but I think the fact that it’s the underdog might be one of the reasons why it’s also my favorite holiday.

Celebrationally speaking, Christmas is definitely King Lear. Christmas is five weeks away, and I already have a list taped to my fridge of the candy and cookies I’ll be making and a rough draft of our annual Christmas letter percolating in my brain. I’m planning a luncheon for the women I Visit Teach. We have tickets to the Nutcracker and invitations to office Christmas parties. My kids are chomping at the bit to get the five rubbermaid bins of decorations and ornaments out of the attic. But the season isn’t technically even here yet. Once it gets here we’ll have to balance the “are we buying too much and spoiling our children forever?” with all of the Santa wish lists. We have to balance the chaos of seeing both sides of our families or the loneliness of not seeing any of them.  We’ll try to balance the emphasis on Christ with the ubiquitousness of the man in red. It’s a great time of year, and would be seen by many as the “most important” holiday of the year, but let’s face it, it’s also exhausting.

Thanksgiving reminds me more of Macbeth. A couple of weeks ago we invited some friends and a family member to have dinner with us, but it wasn’t until last night that I finally pulled out the cookbooks and started to plan a menu, which took about fifteen minutes. We have exactly two Thanksgiving decorations– a set of pilgrims sitting on the mantel. I do have plans to spend a lot of time tomorrow and Thursday in the kitchen, but it won’t hold a candle to the hours my mom and I spend each year rolling tiny balls of dough into millions of Christmas cookies. During the Christmas season, I’m very careful to say “Happy Holidays,” so as not to inadvertently offend anyone who may not believe the way I do.  I appreciate that Thanksgiving celebrates something we can all agree on– good food and being thankful.

I’m thankful for sweet potatoes and cranberry apple pie and fresh whipped cream. I’m thankful for friends to share the day with. I’m thankful for the simplicity of Thanksgiving. It may not be the most important holiday of the year, but sometimes simple is best.