Happy Thanksgiving!

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

Today Americans and those of us who just like a good turkey dinner will all be celebrating food and cheer (and potentially song). I've always loved Thanksgiving the most out of all the holidays - for sure I like the exchanging of gifts at Christmas and the mail that comes from the sending of Christmas cards and I'd be lying if I didn't think that celebrating oneself on one day a year made for a great time each birthday, but Thanksgiving is by far the best. It's like your birthday without the added age or Christmas without the stress. Like Christmas it comes with incredible food. And like your birthday, if you are lucky, you will be surrounded by friends and/or family.

I hope everyone, American or otherwise, takes a moment to think of all the things they are grateful for. As per usual, my list stretches long; it's been an eventful year. I'm sure the coming year will bring just as many things to feel grateful for next Thanksgiving, wherever that holiday might find me.

And just in case you don't celebrate this holiday, there certainly are enough coming up to throw yourself into instead:

* Thanksgiving Day (US): Thursday, November 27
* World Aids Day: December 01
* Bodhi Day: December 08
* Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary: December 08
* Eid al-Adha: December 08 (depends on the sighting of the moon in North America)
* Chanukah (begins at sundown): December 21-December 29
* Christmas Day: December 25
* Kwanzaa: December 26 - January 01, 2009
* Boxing Day: December 26
* Islamic New Year (Al-Hijra): December 29 (depends on the sighting of the moon in North America)
*New Year’s Day/Hogmanay: January 01, 2009