When I came to the US and hooked up with other members of my extended family here, Thanksgiving was always a big deal. A deal almost as big and in some ways bigger than Christmas. It was a time when we could still travel easily and not have to battle the snow in the mountains. The weather was still warm enough we could be outside. And it was a time of gathering the family together.
I understand the story about the Pilgrims and all that. My nephew put that story straight when he said, "After the first terrible winter, the pilgrims enjoyed a bountiful harvest. Then held a big feast and invited their Indian neighbors. Everyone sat down for a wonderful dinner and for the comradery. Then after dinner the Pilgrims murdered the Indians and stole their land." That version does compress history a bit.
But the point is this year and over the past several years Thanksgiving has become more and more less important. A few years ago the stores began opening the day after Thanksgiving early. Then they stayed open late for the early Christmas shoppers. This year they are opening right after the turkey is devoured on Thanksgiving evening.
I was in the stores two weeks ago and found NO MENTION of Thanksgiving, but all the Christmas trash was predominately displayed. I suspect in another 8 or 10 years we will go directly from July 4th to Christmas shopping. Am I the only one who thinks this is sad?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment