After Halloween is over and people put their costumes away, many neighbors start to throw their pumpkins away and ornament their homes with Christmas lights and trees. Christmas music is playing in the background, but they are forgetting about the holiday that comes before Christmas: Thanksgiving. 

The question is “Why is Thanksgiving overlooked?” It could simply be because Thanksgiving has a small music selection, there are fewer decor items for the holiday, people get excited to celebrate Christmas because of gifts or religious purposes, etc. 

Senior Patrick Jenks said, “After Halloween, you already know the Christmas lights will be up, the chimney will be aflame, and Mariah Carey will be hitting her high notes. I get tunnel vision as soon as the temperature drops below 50 degrees, and I forget about Thanksgiving. In fact, I’d even say Thanksgiving doesn’t cross my mind once during this time of year. Merry Christmas!”

Since some people, like Jenks, might be looking forward to lower temperatures and how it comes with snow, Thanksgiving could slip their mind. Furthermore, stores might rush to put up Christmas decorations soon after Halloween, adding to the reasons why customers decorate for Christmas starting in November. Also, a lot of people have to start shopping early for presents, so they get into the Christmas spirit earlier. 

Spanish teacher Emily Ansari said that Thanksgiving is related more to food than Christmas. If someone doesn’t want to celebrate with food, there are fewer activities to do on Thanksgiving. During Christmas, you can go caroling, open presents, make snow angels, and ornament your tree. “People go right to Christmas because it’s more iconic,” Ansari said. 

Essentially, people who look more forward to Christmas than Thanksgiving all have different reasons for their “skipping” of the holiday, whether it be fondness of Christmas traditions or the want to escape into winter wonderland.