Americans laugh at themselves sometimes because they have set aside a special day on which to be thankful for all the good things that have come their way during the year. Thanksgiving is more likely to recall to their minds a picture of a table loaded with tasty dishes and of a quiet day spent with close friends and relatives.
Even if the meaning of Thanksgiving is somewhat obscured by these more present realities, the holiday has an atmosphere that adds something to American life. There is some of the peacefulness and good will of the Christmas season without the frantic rush of gift shopping. There is a recollection of the historical past of the nation, a memory of common people building a new life in a wilderness. It isn’t a day for pride in military might or celebration of a victory.
Within its atmosphere we are drawn more closely to family and friends. “Home” seems more important, and we center our attentions on its activities instead of looking for outside excitement.
This year Thanksgiving will be more heartfelt than it has since the beginning of the war. Some of the tension of the war years has been released, and Americans will give thanks with more faith.
For us as students, Thanksgiving this year means a vacation from classes and a reunion with the family and friends at home. In the years when traveling was frowned upon, we learned to appreciate the privilege of spending this particular holiday at home.
We may laugh at ourselves for setting aside such a day, but we have come to realize that it means more to us than surface impressions may indicate.