What Happened to American Thanksgiving... November 24, 2005

I have ranted about this in my other journal. . . It just annoys me is all. I kind of like Thanksgiving. Not for what it used to stand for, mind you. But for the food. I mean, sure, I guess I am grateful that the natives let us stay here. But. . . yeah whatever, I won't go there.

It just bothers me that a major national holiday is totally overshadowed by a religious one. And a religious holiday that had been so overwhelmingly commercialized that it isn't even a Holy Day anymore. That's the part that gets me, really. Not that a Holy Day is overshadowing a national one (although it rankles because this one Holy Day overshadows all other Holy Days that happen to fall near it as well, like Hanukah or the Solstice and I'm sure there are others that I have never even heard of because of this stupid holiday. . .). . . Ok, I lied. It bothers me that a Holy Day overshadows a national holiday in a country that claims separation of church and state. . . But I ramble.

I work in retail, a bad place to be the day after Thanksgiving. It is known as Black Friday here in the States. . . Guess where I will be that day? Yup, at work. The Mall I work in will be closing later at night to facilitate the shopping frenzy that Christmas inspires. And it will continue to close late right up until the day before Christmas Eve. And it will even be open Christmas Eve! And I will be there! Not that I mind, it means that I don't have to travel anywhere to visit family and stuff. . . Because they understand that sometimes you just have to go to work. But I digress.

Where I was really going with this was that we (in the store) have had Christmas decorations up for at least a week now, maybe even two. And it is just now Thanksgiving. I remember a time when people would decorate for Halloween, and use some of the same decorations for Thanksgiving. But people decorated for Thanksgiving! And when it was over then they would decorate for Christmas. It just bothers me! What happened to the American Thanksgiving? It is the fault of the commercial industry! Thanksgiving isn't a big gift giving holiday, so it is being left in the dust. Companies want money, so they are pushing Christmas because it is now a consumer holiday. No more a Holy Day, if it ever really was one.

I feel kind of bad for Thanksgiving, and I am starting to really hate Christmas. I hate the feeling of obligations. I hate that if I don't get a present for someone they will think that I don't like them anymore. What happened? Why did people become so greedy. Although, I have to admit, I am a bit of a hypocrite. . . I, like so many others, do like getting the occasional gift. But not because it is required by a holiday. I think it is stupid to have a mandatory gift giving day. People should just give gifts to give them, not because they are expected to.

Stupid holiday. I bet I will rant more about it when it is its turn for a comic. It falls on a sunday this year, so. . .

But I think I have taken enough of your time, and prob'ly made your eyes raw as well. . .

Laters!