Before we are able to put our Halloween costumes away or ingest obscene amounts of candy, retail stores advertised their holiday sales and radio stations started playing Christmas jingles.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but their calendars are wrong. It is not December. Put the jingle bells down.

I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Can’t I just enjoy one holiday at a time? The squirrels haven’t even gotten the chance to devour the pumpkins I carved.

While Halloween is usually able to hold its own against the premature holiday advertisements, Thanksgiving is squished between two festive celebrations and inevitably falls victim to this holiday fast-forward. While this may seem inconsequential, it is of great significance because the fate of your Thanksgiving hangs in the balance.

As soon as the weather turns from a chilly breeze to a brisk wind, Santa figurines slowly creep out into display windows and garland is strategically hung. But by skipping straight to the holiday season, we’re not savoring the mouth-watering meal we get to gobble down, which, may I remind you, only comes around once a year. But most importantly, we leap right over the one holiday when we are supposed to appreciate what we have — without expecting anything in return — so that we can get to the holiday when we get more than we usually need.

Unlike Hanukkah and Christmas, which are culturally centered around the premise of giving gifts, the main event of Thanksgiving is a meal — making it one of my favorite holidays by far.

But it’s not the meal itself that makes the fourth Thursday of every November a holiday; it’s the meaning behind it, the idea of being grateful that distinguishes the day among others.

We are supposed to take time out of our busy lives to slow down, spend time with family and consider what we are grateful for. That’s what this American holiday is about, and we can celebrate it together. Unfortunately, many are too distracted by the pre-holiday sales advertisements to enjoy it.

Black Friday itself is evidence that Thanksgiving is undervalued as a holiday. Stores begin to encourage shoppers in October to wake up at ridiculous hours in the morning of Black Friday just to get the best sale prices. This is frustrating not only because my Thanksgiving meal has barely been digested — and I cannot even begin to think about Christmas — but also because stores are persuading customers to buy products they probably don’t need, hours after they are supposed to be giving thanks for the things they already have.

The paradox here is obvious.

I’ve worked in retail on and off for several years, but last year I had the fortunate opportunity of working in the mall on Black Friday — it was one of the scariest days of my life. I remember one woman in particular because her eyes were glazed over, her hair was disheveled and she looked as if she had been fighting off the crowd all day. She came up to the register, and I began to ring up the sweater she had chosen. Unfortunately, the price was not what she wanted and she demanded I recheck to see if it was on sale. When I politely informed her it was not, she took the sweater and threw it at my face.

I stood there, shocked and amazed, with a sweater on my head for about a minute.

It was hard to believe that people like her were probably eating a quiet Thanksgiving dinner with their families just one day prior.

Needless to say, that day really killed the relaxed post-Thanksgiving feeling I had going.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday season and enjoy celebrating Christmas, but Thanksgiving is just more relaxed compared with the rushed holiday season, which is why I truly enjoy it.

Maybe it’s because parents aren’t rushing to purchase last-minute gifts or put up decorations, but I think it’s mostly because sweaters aren’t being hurled at me.

Thanksgiving is just about spending time with friends and family, enjoying each other’s company.

Unfortunately, we’ve forgotten this and are intent on rushing through Thanksgiving just to speed up the arrival of the holiday season. However, I will graciously indulge in a delicious turkey dinner doused with stuffing and potatoes, followed by an extended food coma all while spending time with my family. And I will enjoy every second of it because after all, every holiday deserves its time in the limelight.

Kate is a junior in LAS. She can be reached at [email protected].