On Dec. 25, we all should plan to eat a Christmas ham. Choosing to eat turkey instead will rob Thanksgiving of its dignity and leave it all the more forgotten among national holidays. 

We have all celebrated Thanksgiving — in whatever manner we could — and took time to appreciate the good people and things within our lives. Festivities looked different because of Covid-19, as large gatherings were strongly discouraged and are currently unsafe; however, there remains one Thanksgiving tradition that can never be compromised. Cooking and eating a turkey is the staple of a Thanksgiving feast. Without a turkey, Thanksgiving is not even Thanksgiving.

A lot of the time, Thanksgiving is skipped over and forgotten. People are so quick to embrace the Christmas spirit that Thanksgiving ends up falling through the cracks. Already, Christmas is awarded much more popularity and importance as a holiday and season. Think Christmas carols overtaking the radios, decorations and lights adorning houses and trees, children visiting and writing letters to Santa Claus and Christmas movies flooding the channels for weeks.

Even Black Friday, a day mildly associated with the Thanksgiving season, is ultimately a component of Christmas shopping that allows people to get ahead in buying gifts. Thanksgiving needs its moment to shine and be celebrated in full. It lacks the songs, traditions, decorations and movies, but what it does have is the turkey. 

To eat turkey again at Christmas would only dismiss Thanksgiving even more. 

We all have so much to be grateful for, and Thanksgiving was the time to provide our praise. Eat ham at Christmas and turkey at Thanksgiving to give Thanksgiving the time and attention that it deserves. We cannot let such a heartfelt and important holiday as Thanksgiving be any more forgotten.