Since Thanksgiving break is days away and the workload is likely bogging most of us down, here are a few things for us all to be thankful for this year.

Pilgrims. Bless their souls. They conquered the Atlantic Ocean and set up camp near Fenway Park. Befriending Squanto, they learned the joys of American cooking: corn, hotdogs, potato chips. The Americans proudly rejoiced over their first supper and a newfound freedom before forcing their beliefs upon the Indians in a celebration of liberty and justice for all.

The Thanksgiving Day parade. What better way to celebrate our American heritage than with balloons the size of the moon? SpongeBob SquarePants, Kermit, and Clifford the Big Red Dog are small (or rather, enormous) reminders of what fuels us to wake up each morning and live their lives: knowing that we have the largest choice of television channels on the planet. And that’s the American way.

College basketball. Thanksgiving marks the EA Sports Maui Inviational, the unofficial start of non-league play. The next four and a half months will be dedicated to three-pointers, fade away jumpers, and buzzer beaters. If you ask me, Villanova should offer a day off from school dedicated to celebrating the birth of Allan Ray. By the way, does anyone think Jay Wright would be the greatest, best looking president ever? I do.

Being 21. No longer must we fear the wrath of the Radnor and Lower Merion police units. No longer will we doubt the information on our licenses, wonder just how much we look like the person in the picture. Finally, we are able to go out at the drop of a hat, unconcerned with whether or not the bouncers scan IDs. Plus, we get to participate in the most fun night of the year…

Thanksgiving Eve. The single largest college party night of the year. On this magical evening, college students venture home to reunite and bond over higher education and high school stereotypes. On this single occasion, it is acceptable for freshmen to hang out at seniors’ parties, and vice versa. Although we are separated by age, we are brought together by our common love for community showers, coed dorms, and cases of Natty.

Free food. Sometimes, 20 cents for Ramen is just too much. However, a $30 ham courtesy of mom and dad sounds pretty damn acceptable. Thanksgiving allows us a break from eating cereal for lunch and two-week-old leftovers for dinner. No wonder we all gain so much weight over Thanksgiving break: we’re hoping the mass quantities of food we consume will tide us over until Christmas.

Tryptophan. On Thanksgiving Day, while my weird cousins and strange uncles get a bit too riled up watching football, I will thank God (as I do every year) for adding that wondrous ingredient to turkey. Rather than try to squeeze on the couch with the drunken relatives you love so dearly, why not sneak away to the safety of your bed and pass out for three hours. When you awake, your house will be empty and the pumpkin pie will be all yours.

Christmas music. With the help of Sunny 104.5, it’s become acceptable to roast chestnuts by the fire and rock around a Christmas tree even though its 65 degrees outside and our lovely winter wonderland is nowhere to be found. But even the Grinchiest of Grinches can’t help but feel chipper when Mariah Carey’s voice is ringing in his/her ears, even if it is only mid-November. The nonstop Christmas carols will also help us get ready for the nonstop playing of “A Christmas Story” come December.

The Eagles. For giving us something to laugh about this Thanksgiving. Not only is T.O. the biggest joke in sports this year, but their hopes for a Superbowl berth seem to be dwindling. Think your life sucks? Take a look at the Eagles’ statistics and have yourself a nice chuckle in between bites of mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. Thanks guys.