Sandwiched between two of the biggest holidays of the calendar year in terms of spending, Thanksgiving doesn’t get the same amount of respect given to Halloween and Christmas. Sure, there’s no trick or treating or fun, horror-themed costumes to wear (unless you’re going as a bloody Turkey, or one of Aunt Matilda’s “burnt offerings,” a gastrological nightmare if there ever was one!) and there’s no extravagant gift-giving to be had.

However, these should all be reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving! There’s no pressure to mob the malls (until Black Friday, at least) and who says you can’t dress up?! While you’re sitting around at a Thanksgiving Day Parade or watching Macy’s on TV, or checking out the slew of college football games that make up a big part of television scheduling, you can put on a Turkey Hat for comic effect. Or, better yet, make your family and guests wear Indian headdresses or Pilgrim Hats to get them into the festivities.

When you stop to think about it, this underrated holiday has a lot going for it. There’s the huge family meal with lots of leftovers (feel the economic crunch disappear as you help yourself to Day 7 of turkey and other assorted Thanksgiving carbs!). Even better, there’s no obligatory gift-giving to accompany enjoying all of this delicious food! There’s parades and football games to watch. Most employers always give workers not just Thursday, but also Friday following Thanksgiving off. Use that extra day to kick back and watch, perhaps one of the greatest Thanksgiving films (Yeah. Like there’s really a ton of Thanksgiving movies!) of all time, the hilarious “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.”

And most of all, you can use the day as it was intended to be celebrated: To reflect on all of the good things that you have in your life without any of the bells and whistles that sometimes confuse the meaning of special days.

Related posts:

• Gearing Up For Thanksgiving with Costumes
• Who Doesn’t Love a Parade?
• Macy’s 2008 Thanksgiving Parade