As I’ve gotten older, I’ve enjoyed cooking more and more. I can recall a time when I used to believe that if it took longer to cook/prepare a meal than it did to eat it — it wasn’t worth the time. I’m embarrassed that I had such a philosophy, but then again I was in college and I had to focus my brain cells on more important matters like calculus and the time value of money.

I think it’s become official, though, that Thanksgiving is now one of my favorite holidays. All of the cooking, eating, wine, desserts, people, etc. It’s just so much fun! For clarification, when I’m saying one of my favorites, I’m talking top 3. While Christmas, specifically, is not in the top 3 — the general month of December is. The holiday spirit is fun, even if I don’t officially celebrate Christmas as a formal holiday.

In any event, one thing that I really like about Thanksgiving is the national celebration that occurs. Everywhere in the country, at some time between 2-5pm local time, families are sitting down to eat turkey, stuffing and other Thanksgiving treats. Because there is no religious affiliation with Thanksgiving, it really is unlike any other holiday in that you know where everyone is going to be at a certain time. Even if Christmas was non-religious, families still celebrate at different times throughout the day. Some have Christmas morning, others go to someone’s house for an early afternoon celebration, while still others have Christmas dinner and celebrate in the evening.

Thanksgiving is the only holiday where you know what people are doing all day: Football, cooking, and eating. Yum. This year has come and gone, but this just kicks off the holiday season. Woot!