Why This Thanksgiving Day Is So Important After COVID
Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

Why This Thanksgiving Day Is So Important After COVID

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Thanksgiving has been a quintessential American holiday for hundreds of years. Dating back to 1621, this time-honored tradition has brought families and communities together to celebrate resilience, gratitude, and our shared humanity.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected our ability to come together during cherished moments. There’s no denying the pandemic—filled with physical, logistical, and financial challenges, among other concerns—was draining for many of us.

This holiday season, it may be more important than ever that we take time to return to our traditions, spend quality time with loved ones, and remember that we are social creatures.

How COVID Changed Our Holidays

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Looking back at November 2020, after the onset of the coronavirus, 60 percent of Americans had canceled or modified their Thanksgiving plans, according to Axios polling. Since that time, we’ve experienced sweeping changes in our society. Though many of us have returned—in part or in full—to work or school, few would say things have returned to “normal.”
A recent Gallup poll revealed that socializing was back up to 68 percent, but mental health has been conspicuously slower to rebound. Only 40 percent of Americans said they felt their mental health has regained balance since the start of all this.
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A depiction of early settlers of the Plymouth Colony sharing a harvest Thanksgiving meal with members of the local Wampanoag tribe at the Plymouth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1621. Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images

If you think back to the pandemic onset for a moment, you may recall some of the mixed feelings contributing to overall mental health. For many of us, it was a time of dread, as fears over how to pay the bills loomed. Yet, for some, it was initially appealing to get to stay home, even during the holidays. Let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t felt a certain sense of relief at the occasional snow day or sick day?

Yet, while it may be convenient to enjoy your life, free from some of the social responsibilities that life in the physical—or, one might say the “real” world—brings, the novelty of individual downtime can wear thin.

For many young people, life “online” proved to be less engaging as it grew more protracted. The circumstances of the pandemic were detrimental to mental health. It also interfered with important social milestones, like graduation celebrations and travel plans. Maintaining close social relationships following this period of isolation continues to be a challenge for many. With this, depression, anxiety, and loneliness have soared to unpredicted levels.

The Value of People

People, for the most part, are designed to interact with one another. The accessibility of social media certainly helped many of us feel more connected during the pandemic. However, like synthetic foods, online interactions may still be lacking in the essential ingredients that make a balanced diet. For example, when we meet on Zoom, our brain doesn’t respond the same way it does with people in person. In face-to-face conversations, we can connect more deeply because we view others as a person rather than a thing.
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(Left) A giant Eddie Cantor balloon, followed by the Big Bad Wolf, in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 22, 1934 in New York City. (FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images) (Right) The Spiderman balloon makes its way through Times Square in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on Nov. 24, 2011. Michael Nagle/Getty Images
Social isolation has been implicated in a wide range of not only psychologically adverse outcomes but also a wide array of physical ones, ranging from higher blood pressure and cholesterol to chronic diseases and accelerated aging. Feeling lonely has even been found to be comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality.
The fact is that, despite the value of other good things in life, quality relationships are vital to human success and well-being. Dr. Martin Seligman, a pioneer in the field of positive psychology and well-being research, states that five essential qualities promote mental flourishing: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment.
So important and impactful is socialization that it has been recently dubbed “vitamin S.” Even small interactions with strangers can give a boost to a lonely person. If you think back to the days of COVID-19 confinement, perhaps a once-unappealing trip to stores for supplies—along with the simple exchanges this brought—may have even started to seem like a much-needed oasis!

Unique Benefits of Tradition and Rituals for the Mind and Body

Given the copious amounts of social distancing we endured, many have adapted to a “new normal,” in which personal contact and formal social rituals have become less appealing. To some, they may even seem somewhat superfluous. After all, they require travel, personal investment, and—at times—compromise with the “rough edges” of our kinfolk.
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(Left) Illustration of arriving at the 'Old Home' for Thanksgiving, 1880. (Frederic Lewis/Getty Images) (Right) Illustration of preparing the Thanksgiving meal, 1882. Kean Collection/Getty Images
Yet, our social traditions and rituals as a society serve several very important roles in well-being, which we ought to cherish this Thanksgiving. They not only improve psychological health but can, amazingly, help with physical health.

Breaking Negative Thought Cycles

Mind-body connection: rumination and inflammation

For many, when we feel insecure in life—whether it’s due to a personal setback, a conflict, or struggles to find our place in the world—we are drawn to the familiar. Perhaps it’s enjoying a homey meal, walking a well-worn trail, or returning to activities we did growing up. Rituals help us hit the reset button.

In World War I, soldiers faced extremely trying conditions—cold, damp trenches, illness, violence—far from home. The suffering was both mental and physical. Yet, for a brief moment during the Christmas Truce, that torment was—at least in some small measure—mollified. Along much of the front lines, soldiers on both sides laid down their arms and joined together in celebrating the cherished holiday, proving the power of ritual. Why? Even in the darkest times, rituals can help ground us, distract us from negative thinking by redirecting our minds elsewhere, and give us the chance to emerge stronger.
An engraving of Union troops of the 5th and 9th Corps receiving Thanksgiving rations during the U.S. Civil War, circa 1864. (Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
An engraving of Union troops of the 5th and 9th Corps receiving Thanksgiving rations during the U.S. Civil War, circa 1864. Kean Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Where attention goes, the mind follows. In trying times, people tend to gain solace from rituals, which help to bring us back into balance by refocusing attention on ideal mental states, like peace, harmony, or savoring. From a psychological standpoint, there’s a great deal of utility in this.
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But if we ruminate over life’s troubles too much—repeatedly rehashing negative thoughts, emotions, or past events and their causes—it’s bad for both our mental and physical health.

A recent review found strong connections between rumination and inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-4, and interleukin-6. One study found that rumination produced higher cortisol and CRP levels, compared to shifting one’s thoughts. Though cortisol declined, inflammation lingered. Inflammation, in turn, negatively influences a wide array of health outcomes—everything from your likelihood of catching colds to the severity and course of major chronic diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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One study found that rumination produced higher cortisol and CRP levels, compared to shifting one’s thoughts. Illustration by The Epoch Times
By engaging full-heartedly in positive holiday activities, we can break negative cycles. In our current times, holidays have grown more complicated, with commercial and media influences, as well as families choosing to live farther apart. But we can choose what aspects we want to focus on. Let this season be one of savoring the positive.

Restoring a Sense of Control

Mind-body connection: hopelessness and cancer outcomes
By engaging in familiar rituals, we also gain a sense of control in life. Feeling a lack of control can be one of the most dangerous things to psychological security, and even small gestures that promote a sense of reassurance can be powerful. Completing holiday traditions helps signal control and stability, which fortify us through tough times.
Chronically feeling “it’s out of my hands” can eventually produce hopelessness. In classic psychology experiments, when an animal was placed in an environment with a shock, they would—quite understandably—try to escape. However, when escape was perceived as impossible, animals would instead cower and display depressed symptoms—even when later allowed to leave, they did not attempt to do so. They became broken. What’s more, this mental “learned helplessness” also had consequences for the body, as evinced in lower levels of certain antibodies. In humans, studies have linked hopelessness to serious health consequences. For instance, one longitudinal study found mortality rates in cancer and heart disease patients were two to four times higher in those who felt helpless.
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One longitudinal study found mortality rates in cancer and heart disease patients were two to four times higher in those who felt helpless. Illustration by The Epoch Times
Learning to recognize and celebrate what we can control is an important part of replenishing engagement with life. Despite life’s debacles, laying out decorations, carving the turkey, and providing tokens of care to our loved ones over the holidays instill a buffering sense of control and self-efficacy. Completing these small, time-honored activities can remind us that we are capable of “coming to the table” as functioning, impactful members of society.

Enhancing Close Relationships

Mind-body connection: loneliness and heart disease

People bond over shared activities. Breaking bread allows us to integrate our world with others.

A boy and girl saying grace before a roast turkey dinner, circa 1970. (FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
A boy and girl saying grace before a roast turkey dinner, circa 1970. FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Admittedly, this may be uncomfortable when certain family members are difficult or, perhaps, generational gaps are present. Especially today, media pummels us with new information daily, and what we consume online drives a feedback loop where people effectively see different versions of reality. This can magnify our differences.

Despite that, however, sharing common rituals can promote unity.
The value of quality relationships in life cannot be overstated. Needs for closeness and belonging are some of the strongest humans have, and exclusion profoundly impacts allostatic load, immune function, and well-being. When we say, “You broke my heart” to someone, we’re not kidding. Meta-analyses have revealed people without close relationships are 51% more likely to have heart disease, 32% more likely to stroke, and 30% more likely to die, regardless of the cause. Meanwhile, stronger social connections were associated with some serious reductions in the likelihood of adverse health events, including 59% for hypertension and 50% for premature death, overall.
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Quality of relationships can impact disease risks. Illustration by The Epoch Times
Eating your Cheerios aside, perhaps it’s time for a healthy helping of relationships this season. Belonging signals that we are okay, we have support, and we can relax.

Rekindling Meaning in Our Lives

Mind-body connection: sense of purpose and immunity

As Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, wrote in “Man’s Search for Meaning,” “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how.’” For generations, our countrymen celebrated many of the same values that we do today. When we connect with tradition, we begin to think of the past and future as united, which gives meaning to life and allows us to transcend present frustrations.

As many who have overcome significant hardship can attest, knowing what’s important keeps us anchored and moving forward. It puts struggles in context, so we can look forward to bigger payoffs later down the road. Purpose can promote optimism and positive feelings, which encourage us to live our lives well and take care of ourselves—in contrast, lack of meaning can leave us feeling stagnant and encourage risky behaviors.

Perhaps it’s for these reasons that meaning in life has been broadly associated with health benefits, including a positive impact on surgery outcomes, perceived pain, and HIV and cancer prognoses. Yet, meaning also impacts cellular function. For instance, one study found that participants who found a higher sense of purpose after reflecting on life showed increases in natural killer cell functioning, a critical component of our immune system; natural killer cell function decreased in those with lower meaning.
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One study found that participants who found a higher sense of purpose after reflecting on life showed increases in natural killer cell functioning, a critical component of our immune system. (Illustration by The Epoch Times)
One study found that participants who found a higher sense of purpose after reflecting on life showed increases in natural killer cell functioning, a critical component of our immune system. Illustration by The Epoch Times
In a world where the self is increasingly central, a sense of belonging to something bigger—a nation, a belief system, or even the universe may actually be what we need. As such, holiday traditions enrich life’s meaning, instilling feelings of contentment, gratitude, and even awe.

‘That Way’ Is ‘The Way’

Thanksgiving can remind us of what’s important. No matter how we feel at the start of our holiday, our holiday rituals have a way of pulling us out of the daily grind and affirming that some things in life are still more precious.
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Husband checking temperature of Thanksgiving turkey in the roaster on Nov. 24, 2016, Minnesota. Steve Skjold/Shutterstock
When we expend effort—time, money, and patience—to keep our family traditions alive, we internalize their importance. You might think, “It’s just an arbitrary series of things we do, we could just as well go grab takeout!” Well, you aren’t necessarily wrong. We can’t always justify why we do it “that way” with the family. But as it turns out, the “what” is less important than the “why.” Some families prefer turkey, others ham—or maybe even spam with pineapple. The quirkiness of some of our rituals, which are unique to us and often lack specific reason, can actually increase the value.

Our values seem attenuated in recent years, owing to an increasing disconnect. Yet, holidays like Thanksgiving, which celebrates generosity and gratitude, can help restore important values that keep society thriving.

Of course, you could just send others a “hashtag turkey” message, pop on Netflix, and kick back at home. This may be more convenient. But surprisingly, many of the “best things in life” never are.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.