During Thanksgiving week, my family put up Christmas lights outside on our house and decorated our Christmas tree. We started these festivities the day before Thanksgiving. I mention this because most people seem to agree that Christmas should not even be mentioned until the stomach is stuffed full of turkey and mashed potatoes. Why is it alright to watch Elf right after the turkey is washed down with some apple cider but not before the table is set for dinner? Do those couple hours really make a difference?
Radio stations began playing Christmas music long before Thanksgiving, and every single year people complain that it is too early and it ruins the spirit of Thanksgiving. I always find these arguments amusing. I enjoy listening to Christmas music so I don't mind when it comes on a little early. I love Thanksgiving and I also love Christmas. I think they build on top of each other. But does there need to be a definite line separating Thanksgiving and Christmas?
I think that Thanksgiving helps us get into the spirit of Christmas. We have almost been through the whole year of 2014 and it's time to focus on what we are grateful for. So many things have happened this year that have helped me grow and become a more valuable asset. It's a time to reflect on all our blessings, which is exactly what Thanksgiving is for. We can be thankful for good health, a car, food, family, an education, you name it! But we shouldn't forget to be thankful for our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and everything that they do for our benefit. Perhaps all the other things we are thankful for stem from the love they have for us. With this thankful attitude, we move into the Christmas Season.
In addition to all the gift giving and receiving, Christmas is a time for us to focus on the Savior and all that we have received because of Him. Perhaps instead of seeing Thanksgiving and Christmas as two separate holidays, they could be viewed mutually in a way that adds to the true meaning of these holiday seasons. After all, neither one of them ever begins or ends. We should be thankful for our blessings all year and we should always be making the effort to remember
our Savior Jesus Christ.
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