Casey Williams
Can you hear those sleigh bells ringing in the air? If you can, you might seriously consider having your ears checked, because it is the beginning of November and there is a full month (almost two) and a major holiday between now and Christmas. Big stores love to press fast-forward when it comes to the months and holidays that are likely to cause the most excitement and shopping frenzies. Unfortunately, this means a very important month gets overlooked. For this reason, I feel it is appropriate and necessary to review some of the reasons why November deserves recognition and praise.
- FOOD!
November has the best holiday when it comes to food. Thanksgiving is synonymous with comfort food and full tummies. During this time of year, we get to take a break from that ‘diet’ and gorge on homemade turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes with tons of delicious gravy. If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, a popular recipe is the cold turkey sandwich, a perfect option for a low maintenance lunch.
- Vacation
With Thanksgiving comes a long awaited and much needed break from classes. Use this time to relax, spend time with family and friends and if necessary, catch up on any assignments or reading. If none of those things sound appealing, catching up on your favorite series on Netflix is just as good (if not better).
- Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING!
Pumpkin lovers rejoice! The season is upon you to try to incorporate pumpkin spice flavoring into every food and drink imaginable. Pies, lattes and so much more. With Pinterest as your guide, nothing is impossible. Make sure to act before Pumpkin Spice turns to Peppermint.
- Shopping
While Thanksgiving is the highlight of the month for some people, Black Friday is everything to all the savvy shoppers out there. If you haven’t already started shopping, this is a great time to find gifts for all the people on your Christmas list…and maybe a few things for yourself.
- Sweater and Boot Weather
Fall fashion has some of the best, and more importantly, the most comfortable clothing. At this point in the year, it is more than acceptable to go outside wearing an oversize sweater, some comfy boots and a casual up-do. While makeup is by no means mandatory, dark lips are trendy, as well as extremely daring.
- History and Lessons
While the history surrounding this time of the year is associated with giving thanks and cooperation between races, the truth is what you acted out in your elementary school play was mostly sugar-coated and reality deficient. This is to spare present-day Americans the embarrassment of explaining to their children that the pilgrims were nowhere near as amiable and reciprocating as we would like them to have been with the Native Americans.
Despite all of this, we still take this time of year to remember to be grateful for all the things we have. Additionally, when we address the truth of the past, we can admit our mistakes and use the knowledge to help guide our behavior in the future.