Being an active Pagan and observing the Sabbats roughly every six weeks, by the time Thanksgiving comes around my family and I have already celebrated three Harvest Festivals. (That's a lot of food!)  So to celebrate another Harvest Festival so quickly after Samhain can sometimes seem a bit redundant to say the least, but we still celebrate because of the symbology of the event.   But this year...we chose to celebrate a day early...

Let me give you some background of this year... This year, I have been busting my butt to get many things in place so I can be a position to quit my day job, of which I am still working at.  During which time, I have noticed how precious time is and how it is a must that I weed out the "busy work" in my life.  Having so many projects completed but a few still in the works, I have really had to prioritize my time, my efforts and my energy on things that really matter.  

This year my oldest son did some traveling through a program at his school and I had the opportunity to go with him.  I also had the chance to go to Florida recently and spend some time with my husband at the beach, connecting with old friends and connecting to the powerful energy of the Goddess Yemaya.  Needless to say, with travel comes long flights/road trips, long nights, short sleeps, very rich food and very little down time.  When I got back from the last trip for the year and felt my energy come crashing down.  I knew what I needed to do, I needed to practice what I preach in my life coaching program; honoring myself and practice self-care.  I slept as long as I could every night, I slept in on the weekends, took naps and tried to eat whole foods to aid in my bodies restoration process. 

Now, after weeks of self-care I am finally back to "normal" (I use that term lightly as those who know me, know I am anything but normal! : ) just in time for the holidays to come into full swing.  There is Yule/Christmas shopping, the annual holiday letter to write, gifts to buy, wrap and ship to my family in Wisconsin and Minnesota, etc... The list goes on and on...

"So what does this have to do with having a Happy Thanksgiving?"  you may be asking!  

Well, I'll tell you...knowing how precious our own energetic body is and our own vital resources the best way to have a Happy Thanksgiving is to do as little as possible the with most meaning behind everything you do!!! 

Yesterday, the day before Thanksgiving we had our Harvest Celebration.  We ordered the turkey from a local restaurant, made Stovetop stuffing, warmed frozen veggies, made ranch mashed potatoes, opened the bag of Hawaiian sweet rolls, popped a can of jellied cranberry sauce, made a packet of pre-made gravy, unfroze the pre-made chocolate pie, made a tofu pumpkin pie and all sat down for a wonderful meal!  Prep-time:  Only 1 hour!    I didn't do any massive cleaning of  my home, which is traditional hear in the states, as those who attended see my house frequently in states of disarray as well as at its best.  The meal, conversation and company was perfect!

All too often we succumb to others expectations of what we "should" do for each meal during the holiday season, or what we "need" to do.  What you really need to ask yourself during this holiday season are these things:

What is the meaning of the season?
What do I really want to do that will be in keeping with that meaning?
What is my energy level?

When you answer these simple questions it makes it all more simple and complete.  Thanksgiving for me this year is to honor those who have gone before us, honor everyone in my life, and as a time of reflection and gratitude for everything my life entails at this moment. 

We celebrated a day early for several reasons:  1. The restaurant we got the turkey from would have our turkey ready on Wednesday, as they would be closed on Thanksgiving.  2. My step-daughter and her new husband would be up for a visit on Wednesday.  3. Thanksgiving is usually so busy with putting up the Yule/Christmas decorations that it seemed only natural to do it all on Wednesday this year. 

The moral of this story/blog is to take into account your own energy level whilst planning your menu, activity load and schedule.  Honor the day for what it is and not what we think others do.  But mainly really let family take center stage during the day and how precious each moment is with them.

With that said, I am off to make leftover Turkey quiches and put ornaments on the Yule tree while listening to the soundtrack from "Elf" the movie about an human who thought he was an Elf!  : )

Yay!!!  Wishing you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!