Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is perhaps the most literally-named of the major American holidays. I’ve always appreciated a holiday predicated upon the idea of slowing down for a few moments to reflect upon all the good things in life. Of course, if you’re cooking, traveling, or hosting family and friends, it may not seem slow and relaxing at all, but here we’ll dwell on the positives. Non-political, non-religious, and basically universal in the US, Thanksgiving is a great standard bearer for the sadly dwindling category of Things We Can All Agree On.

Those spending their first November in the US or otherwise unacquainted with the particulars of the holiday may rightly wonder what exactly Thanksgiving is, given its unusual lack of affiliation with political, religious, or social institutions that define many other major holidays. It has its roots in various harvest celebrations in colonial-era America and a number of other countries, and isn’t unique to the United States (it’s celebrated on the 2nd Monday of October in Canada, for example). It’s probably fair to say we make a bigger deal of it than most anywhere else, though, in typical American fashion. The common Thanksgiving denominator for nearly everyone is spending time with family and/or friends, and gorging oneself on an enormous meal, usually turkey. There are a number of other popular traditions that will vary by family and individual: lots of folks make a point of volunteering or donating to a favorite charity, while others structure the day around watching the NFL games that are coincidentally on TV. Even the details of the menu are tailored to taste. You’ll find some people who swear it’s not really Thanksgiving dinner without a (warning: unpopular opinion alert) gross concoction of sweet potatoes and marshmallows, and others like me who wonder what offense a serving dish could possibly have committed to deserve that kind of abuse. The great thing about Thanksgiving is that everyone gets a few days to celebrate on their own terms, hopefully surrounded by friends and family (and this is a good time to note that our office will be closed Thursday and Friday, but those of you with application-related questions will find us back and fully responsive by Monday).

So, in the spirit of the holiday, thanks for reading this blog, and for your interest in Fletcher! We’re grateful for those of you who are already a part of our community, and for the possibility that more of you will soon be joining us. Whether you’re traveling or staying put, prepping a turkey dinner with all the trimmings or just enjoying a few extra days of relatively unscheduled time, have a happy Thanksgiving!