Thanksgiving is all sorts of made up

I realize there is some kind of historical context for Thanksgiving, but I view it as a made-up holiday that just invites stress into our lives. Don't get me wrong--I love the food, the football, the days off. However, I don't attach any great emotional significance to it.

Christmas and Easter are the big ones for us; one that has faith traditions to share with our children and a meaning much larger than being thankful for family and the like.

However, people seem to get stressed to such an absurd level over this day. And the shopping orgy the next day is just sickening. Like the stores won't have great deals all throughout the season. A holiday about giving thanks has turned into the prelude to the grossest display of materialism on earth.

You may all commence with frantic cooking and cleaning and mapping out a shopping strategy if that is your thing. Or not. I'm of the not variety; avoiding hosting for as long as possible.