Thanksgiving vs. Christmas: An Objective Comparison

As Thanksgiving lurks around the corner, and Christmas decorations are already sprouting about, the holiday season is approaching rapidly which raises the question: which of the two holidays are better, Christmas or Thanksgiving? To answer this as unbiased as possible, I will break down the facts to find out which holiday is objectively better.

The Food

When you think of Thanksgiving, most likely the first thing that comes to mind is the food. The pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, and most importantly, the turkey, all combine to make a filling meal for almost anyone. Although Christmas isn’t normally affiliated with food, many dishes are still traditionally served during the time. Christmas food mostly consists of sweets, like peppermint bark, candy canes, gingerbread, and others, but with that comes the rather unpleasant food as well, most notably fruitcake, which was ranked the worst Christmas food on purewow.com. While Christmas also has the traditional ham and turkey, I have to give this category to Thanksgiving, because Christmas doesn’t have as much to offer.

Movies

Usually (from what I’ve noticed), the day after Thanksgiving is the day when different TV channels start to pump out the numerous Christmas-themed movies, ranging from Home Alone and Polar Express to the seemingly infinite amount of Hallmark movies. Many of these movies have become classics and are perfect to set the mood for the upcoming Christmas season. When I try to think of Thanksgiving movies, the only one I can think of is the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, and while it is a classic, the singular movie does not hold enough influence to carry Thanksgiving, so I have to give this one to Christmas.

Better Backstory

While the general understanding of the creation of Thanksgiving taught in elementary school is pleasant, when you look at the way Christopher Columbus treated the Native Americans, that really dampers the mood of the whole thing. Christmas, however, is on the same day as the birth of Jesus Christ, so Thanksgiving has no way of competing with that, making Christmas dominate this category.

Which is more festive?

One of the most notable things about Thanksgiving is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which I’m sure most people have watched at least once in their lives. However, Thanksgiving gets practically ignored by shopping centers and other places alike, as most malls already have Christmas decorations up, and Black Friday steals the show practically directly after Thanksgiving. Plus, the clothes are much better during Christmas, as Thanksgiving doesn’t have much going on for themselves in terms of clothes and branding, so this category goes to Christmas.

To conclude, Christmas is deemed a better holiday due to these factors, and there is no denying that the aroma during the Christmas season is unmatched to any holiday.