My favorite day of the year is slowly approaching. It’s filled with crazy relatives (when I was 12, my grandma told me “every outfit always needs a little bit of sex”), begins my countdown to Christmas (yes, I still believe in Santa Claus) and basically requires that the deadly sin of gluttony be committed. I am, of course, talking about Thanksgiving.

If you believe what you learned in your friendly picture-filled textbooks in elementary school, the Pilgrims and Indians forged a friendship during an autumn celebration after the settlers’ first harvest in America. Although steeped in legend, the tradition of Thanksgiving initially signified gratitude, gratefulness and generosity. However, today this barely rings true.

While these original ideals may still be upheld by some individuals celebrating Thanksgiving, the emphasis on Thanksgiving in America has shifted from an merry gathering to a consumer-driven holiday. Commercialism and the typical American lifestyle have each contributed to making Thanksgiving a corporate product. Marketing strategies have transformed this originally homey day of thanks into a pretentious process involving numerous steps and various stresses.

Of course it doesn’t help that media and markets, hoping to make a profit from a typical Thursday of food and fun, glaringly emphasize “domestic porn.” Throughout November, commercials, magazine covers and cooking shows all feature the same unrealistic feast to which holiday hosts feel compelled to imitate.

Instead of whipping up some traditional Thanksgiving grub and hoping the guests will merely enjoy each other’s company and the food that is served, people are striving to adorn picture-perfect tables with shimmering burgundy candles, a coiffed bouquet of mums and a glistening turkey blanketed by a crispy and succulent exterior.

But this newfound voraciousness to idealize Thanksgiving (and perfect the four kinds of potatoes that will accompany the two varieties of roasted meat) is taking away from the true meaning of what the last 386 Thanksgivings should have all been about: simply giving thanks.

American culture has become one obsessed with insatiability and gluttony. We are never satisfied, fulfilled or content. Everything we do has to be bigger and better than what everyone else does. We are not driven by passion or appreciation, but rather by competition and one-upmanship.

So this Thanksgiving, put away your beaded tablecloths with matching runners. Fret not if the skin of the turkey isn’t crisped to perfection. Don’t silence or smirk at your nutty family members telling terrible jokes.

And most importantly, remember Martha Stewart is as much a brand as a person.

SESP sophomore Alexandra La Manna is a PLAY pop culture columnist. She can be reached at [email protected].