Thanksgiving Traditions

Happy Thanksgiving to those whom I did not see in person this past week.  We were able to entertain family on both sides of the marriage, some on turkey day itself, and some on Friday.  All in all, wonderful food, company and conversation.

In addition to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings, we engaged in some other events that have become synonymous with this day of thanks. 

Last minute food and drink shopping Wednesday evening

Mimosas in the morning before company arrived

Macy's parade on TV

NFL Football on and off throughout the day

Eating until full, and then eating some more

Falling asleep on the couch

Turkey soup

Desserts, desserts, desserts

Thanksgiving, or at least the way we celebrate Thanksgiving, is uniquely American.   But we are not the only country that has established a day of thanks.  For a quick primer on how some other countries recognize and acknowledge Thanksgiving, click on link below.

https://modernfarmer.com/2017/11/countries-celebrate-thanksgiving/

One new tradition in which I did not participate, was Thanksgiving night shopping.  Obviously, the concept of shopping for Christmas gifts on the day after Thanksgiving is well established in America.  Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, the season in which retailers hope to generate enough sales and profits to move their ledgers "into the black" as opposed to being in red which equates to losing money.  For a more detailed historical perspective on how black Friday earned its name, click on the link below.

https://www.thebalance.com/what-is-the-history-of-black-friday-3305711 

Anyway, as I said, we did not end our Thanksgiving feast early, or chase our relatives out of the house, or turn off the NFL, or cut short dessert, to drive to the local mall for any of the various blockbuster or door buster sales that began Thanksgiving evening.  My recollection is that this new tradition, Black Friday sales beginning Thanksgiving night, is only a few years old. 

Perhaps, being the procrastinator that I am, I have even less interest in shopping on Black Friday than most, let alone Thanksgiving night.  Perhaps, as the middle class continues to find its buying power shrinking, we have little choice but to rush from the comfort of our homes on Thanksgiving to find the best deals possible.  Perhaps, for those who have made the "business" decision to open the stores on Thanksgiving night, the pressure to satisfy the insatiable greed of the stock holders and corporate boards, outweighs their instinct to allow their employees to more fully enjoy the holiday.  Perhaps America is really about money, pure and simple, and all the posturing about family values and traditions is just window dressing for the rich to enjoy the fruits of the labor of the working class.

Or perhaps, we really don't understand the meaning of thanksgiving, or Christmas for that matter.

I would imagine that if twenty years ago 100 Americans were asked if stores should be open on Thanksgiving, most would have responded negatively, perhaps even thinking the idea of shopping on Thanksgiving un-American, or at least not very family friendly.  I wonder if a new poll of 100 Americans asking if stores should be open on Christmas would react just as harshly.  Let's hope that the idea of shopping Christmas night, to get a head start on the after Christmas sales, does not occur to the Wal-Mart family or any such large retail chain.  Sadly, I wish I could say it will never happen, but I would have thought that about shopping Thanksgiving evening as well.

In the meantime, take a moment to count your blessings and, when the holiday rush seems overwhelming, take a moment and remember the reason for the season.