Thanksgiving … because why not celebrate a family holiday based on the mass murder of Native Americans? I am sure Christopher Columbus would be proud! All joking and seriousness aside, Thanksgiving has become not only a federal holiday, but also one of the biggest family days of the year.

Most people probably care more about Black Friday, which immediately follows the post-Thanksgiving dinner comatose, but that is beside the point, too.

For me, Thanksgiving means family, and I think that is the biggest bonus for most other people, too. This is one of maybe two or so times a year to see extended family that live in other states. It is a time of relaxation, good times, and gaining weight for the cold winter ahead!

For me, it is also a time to see my 8-year-old kid who everyone thinks, but no one believes, is mine. The world may never know… I know it’s all about the food, football, family and fall festivities (that’s a lot of Fs), but I wanted to see if there was any deeper meaning to this holiday for the people around me.

When talking to my own family, they reiterated that it is an extra special holiday nowadays because of the fact that we are all going our own ways in life as adults, but this gives us a chance to reset and catch up. That is the main idea I got from many of the students I talked to around campus also. It is just a time to get away from the pressures of school and work, and realize how important family and friends are before the hectic (and expensive) family Christmas gatherings. Now, on to the important stuff!

Food! Food! Food! This is my shot at a more enticing fall-time version of the popular Motley Crue song. So the most important question of all is: turkey or ham? Or in 2017, there might be a few vegan options, but we will stick with the main two.

The answer is you can’t go wrong, unless you picked ham. Out of 25 students surveyed, 13 said turkey, six said ham and six either had both or something other. The list of favorite Thanksgiving foods was almost endless including cranberries, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, pie, rolls, green beans, casserole, among many other responses. Feel free to comment your own favorite foods and traditions for Thanksgiving this year!

Thank you for enduring my terrible humor. Make sure you cheer against the Lions and spend as much time as possible with the people you love this year on Nov. 23.