I’ve given it a lot of thought, and Thanksgiving is the best holiday:
– Like most big holidays, it’s an excuse to travel and get the family together when they probably otherwise wouldn’t without substantial planning.
– It’s secular. No devotions needed, the only observance is around the idea of ‘gratitude,’ a particularly healthy and prosocial feeling, especially compared to the stress-shopping, unwrapping bloodlust, post-gift-depletion of Christmas.
– There’s no real canonical approach, and customizing to your local tradition is kind of recommended. While Turkey is specified, I’ll be honest, I’m Puerto Rican and we’ve been doing Pernil for years now. Come to my house, give it a try, you won’t go back, I swear.
– No specific dominance of any ethnic or cultural group. Doesn’t tie back to ‘the old country,’ popes, kings, prophets, or mythological figures. You don’t need to lie to your kids that some fat burglar has stuffed a game bird down your chimney and now we can eat, or whatever.
– The story is mostly humble. It doesn’t celebrate a military victory or even founding of the nation–to the contrary, it gives the lie to self-made mythologies and points to the necessity of interdependency and mutual reliance. The story is basically, “If our neighbors hadn’t helped us, we would have died. We didn’t, let’s give thanks.” I can think of some business leaders that could introspect on this just a little more, actually.
– The idea of sharing and collective responsibility is baked in. Someone has the main kitchen where the Turkey is. Someone else brings dessert, someone else brings wine, whatever. Everyone gets a chance to participate.
– You get to the USA and you get to celebrate it on day one, period. You don’t need papers. You don’t need to take a loyalty oath or otherwise earn your way in. In fact, Americans would completely recommend that you celebrate it wherever you are, because it is self-evidently awesome. Some of my most memorable Thanksgivings were held overseas, with other celebrants–Americans, Canadians or others who were anyways willing to play along.
– Nice integration with football. Feel free to substitute your local style of football.
– It is encoded with the importance of a great journey undertaken to renew key relationships. Hosting this year? Then people are coming to you, give them a place to stomp out their boots. If not, I have good news and bad news–you are Going on an Adventure. (In out modern era, this mostly means you will be Sitting in Traffic.)
– For many of us, you get FRIDAY off too! (YMMV.) It’s the only holiday that incorporates a way to get a jump on the following holidays, via Black Friday shopping. If you are of my generation, this may have included some particularly terrifying trips to the mall.
– Is there any other holiday with the concept of a ‘Thanksgiving orphan’ is built into the lore? “This is my friend from college, they don’t have anyplace to go, can they spend Thanksgiving with us?” Or “this is my friend John Candy, he’s a shower curtain ring salesman I met in a bus station.” Very typical stories!
Anyway, here’s what this taught me about B2B sale–just kidding, EAT. It’s fine. Happy Thanksgiving, my esteemed colleagues. I’m grateful for all of you.