of iconic characters from Santa to Frosty to that creepy Elf on the Shelf .
Christmas is like the relative who arrives with bags of gifts , three kinds of cookies and somehow finds time to decorate the entire front yard in flashing lights synchronized to Mariah Carey ’ s “ All I Want for Christmas Is You .” It ’ s a holiday with expectations – a lot of them . And if you don ’ t have the perfect tree , the perfect gifts or the perfect family photo with everyone wearing matching sweaters , you ’ ve somehow failed . So , what ’ s the better holiday ? Let ’ s start with the food . Thanksgiving is basically a glorified buffet . You ’ ve got turkey , dressing , mashed potatoes , gravy , green bean casserole , pies , and , of course , the glorious canned cranberry sauce . It ’ s an allyou-can-eat extravaganza , and no one judges you for going back for a third plate ( or fourth ).
Christmas dinner ? Sure , it ’ s great , but there ’ s more focus on dainty little cookies and figgy pudding – whatever that is . Christmas food is a bit like the Instagram version of Thanksgiving food . It ’ s beautiful but deep down , you ’ re thinking , “ Where ’ s the second turkey ?”
Next , let ’ s talk about the stress factor .
Thanksgiving is a one-day deal . You eat , you nap , you watch football and you ’ re done . Christmas , however , comes with a monthlong to-do list . You ’ ve got shopping , wrapping , decorating , baking , office parties , Secret Santa exchanges and endless holiday cards . By the time Christmas Day arrives , you ’ ve either conquered an Everest of glittery bows and Scotch tape or collapsed beneath it .
And then there ’ s the music . Christmas music starts blasting at full volume in stores the minute Halloween ends . Sure , some people love it but let ’ s be honest , if you hear “ Jingle Bell Rock ” one more time while trying to navigate the chaos of the mall , you might snap and start rocking the bells yourself .
Thanksgiving , meanwhile , has no official soundtrack and maybe that ’ s its greatest gift . It ’ s a quiet holiday , like the calm before the storm – just you , the smell of roasting turkey and the occasional sound of someone arguing about whether or not marshmallows belong on sweet potatoes ( they do ).
But when it comes down to it , Christmas has one thing Thanksgiving can ’ t compete with : presents .
No matter how much pie you eat on Thanksgiving , it ’ s never going to top the magic of tearing open a perfectly wrapped box . Unless that box contains socks and then Thanksgiving might just win this one .
So who ’ s the ultimate holiday champion ? Well , it depends . If you like your holidays simple , stuffingfilled and low on stress , Thanksgiving is your jam ( or your cranberry sauce ). But if you thrive on tinsel , twinkling lights and a never-ending loop of “ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ,” Christmas is the undisputed king .
Or you could just take the best of both worlds – Thanksgiving dinner with a Christmas cookie chaser .
GREENVILLE LIFE 25 HOLIDAY 2024