When Thanksgiving Matters Most: Gratitude in a Season of Unaffordability

My parents were preparing for their first Thanksgiving when I arrived a week early. My mother expected to cook and host; instead she had to deliver me. That surprise made Thanksgiving especially meaningful for our family. For many immigrant households, the holiday is a reminder of gratitude for having arrived and built a life here.

Thanksgiving has grown complicated

But like much of American life, Thanksgiving has become politically charged and, for many, fraught. Childhood classroom scenes—Pilgrim costumes, handprint turkeys, and potluck dishes—give way to a fuller, more complicated history. As an Indian American, I sympathize with Native people while still valuing a day to gather, eat and watch football. For many, it's still a simple respite from daily life.

Increasingly, though, people dread the holiday: the strain of travel, relatives hardened by social media and partisan outlets, and college-age family members who return with fresh certainties and a tendency to lecture. Politicians often exploit these tensions—promising that voting for them will restore lost traditions or better times. That kind of political posturing was easier to tolerate when safety nets like food banks, churches, charities and public programs helped cushion hard times.

Why this year feels different

This year, however, feels different. Rising prices, cuts to assistance programs, diminished charitable giving in some communities, layoffs, and inflation have left many households strained. Headlines tout cheaper holiday meals, but the savings often come from smaller portions or aggressive discounting—hardly a meaningful relief for families forced to stretch every dollar.

History reminds us what Thanksgiving can be

Ironically, Thanksgiving’s deepest lessons shine brightest in hardship. The Pilgrims marked survival after a brutal first year; early settlers celebrated harvests that made raising families possible on the frontier. Abraham Lincoln formalized Thanksgiving during the Civil War to encourage unity amid national suffering. Franklin D. Roosevelt adjusted the holiday’s timing during the Depression to help revive commerce and morale.

Today, many Americans face real hardship: a rising cost of living, uncertain job prospects, and families under strain from immigration enforcement or widening political divisions. Those realities make gratitude for what we have—and for the people who stand with us—more urgent.

Thanksgiving need not be a celebration of abundance. It can be a deliberate act of solidarity: a chance to thank those who sustain us, to share what we can, and to prepare together for difficult months ahead. Even when the meal is modest, the company and care we offer one another are what matter most.

By Jos Joseph
Jos Joseph is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and a recipient of the Military Reporters & Editors award for Best Commentary/Opinion. He studied at Harvard and Ohio State and lives in Anaheim, Calif.