Polygon:

Thanksgiving has a complicated history, tied to the roots of American colonialism, and more recently processed through a lens of joyful capitalism. But feeding friends and family is perhaps one of the most humane acts we can pursue. It’s less about the spirit of giving, and more about admitting that people have innate, basic needs, like food and social comfort, and that those needs are best fulfilled when people work in tandem. Honestly, we should try to do it more on every other day of the year: The number of people volunteering to help feed the homeless and families in need peaks around November and December, but that energy needs to be carried through the preceding 10 months, too.

Spider-Man represents these needs, even though very few of us have to balance photojournalist work, a fraught dating life, and pummeling Dr. Octopus. Peter Parker is often the most financially strapped among his Avengers buddies, and frequently the loneliest, too. Those are recognizable traits among many young people, even those without radioactive-spider powers. When you’re growing up and trying to figure out the world, it’s easy to feel lost and isolated. But feelings of loneliness spike during the holidays, meaning that there’s a good chance you’ll feel even more like Peter Parker when late November rolls around.

A great argument from Daniel Dockery about why the web-swinger might just be the perfect Thanksgiving mascot.