Y hate the holiday?

Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving.  As a former-fat-girl, it's an anxiety producing holiday full of fattening foods, gluttony, and laziness (except for those preparing the meal and cleaning up after the party).  That being said, I don't think I really ever loved Thanksgiving.  It's just doesn't resonate with me.  In fact, this morning, while talking to my mother on the phone, I said, "I don't have a lot of Thanksgiving memories from my childhood."  Her reply was, "Well, we put more emphasis on the Jewish holidays."* Hmmm...fair enough.  I have plenty of hard-boiled egg in salted water, chopped charoset, matzoh ball soup, gefilte fish with horseradish so hot it makes your nose run, apples dipped in honey, round challah, brisket-laden, candle-lighting, latke frying memories. For those keeping track, that was Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Hanukkah back there...

Also, I did jog my memory and recall Thanksgiving dinners spent at my paternal Grandparents' country club dining room.  Umm...totally brilliant, right? No one has to cook or clean...except for the employees who don't get to be with their families because they are busy serving others...but, I digress. 

This year, the 2nd night of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving and everyone is SO into it!  It's been dubbed Thanksgivikkuah and from it have sprung thousands of articles, blog posts, and websites featuring recipes, clothes, cards, gifts, and even a turkey/menorah mashup called a menurkey (which isn't a kosher menorah, by the way, because the candles aren't all the same height)!  It's an odd calendar happenstance that won't occur again for something like 70,000 years.  I guess I can't blame everyone for getting excited.  It just doesn't ring my bell. 

In addition, our kids are in New York with their mother's family because she gets Thanksgiving in odd years (2013) and we get even years.  Unfortunately, that sucks for Thanksgivikkuh, because they won't be back with us until the 4th night of Hanukkah and that makes me sad. 

*sigh* I'm trying to figure out a way to make sure this blog isn't a big old "I hate Thanksgiving and I miss my children and it's cold outside and eating too much food and breathing freezing air makes me super cranky and and and and rant...phew! Even when I'm cranky, I try to be thankful daily and not just on the 4th Thursday in November which also happens to coincide with the 2nd night of Hanukkah this year.

Honestly...

I love that everyone has holiday traditions.

I love that everyone has this specific holiday that causes them to think and be thankful.  

I love that even though I don't love this holiday, those around me do.  

I love that I'm surrounded by family and friends, today and every day.

So...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, HAPPY HANUKKAH, HAPPY THANKSGIVIKKUH TO YOU AND YOURS!!!