The Holidays...or is now the Holiday?

[Sparrowhawk]

Warning, this is a rant, not based on evidence.

Alright, its nothing that just started, but it has gotten worse over the past few years (or maybe i'm just now getting old enough to see it). Where has Thanksgiving gone?

Every year, people start celebrating Christmas weeks before Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, as a Christian, I know that Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of the most important events in history, but why has Thanksgiving been left out?

If I had a guess, it would be we don't care to want to stop to take time to be thankful. If you asked a lot of people what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving would the top three be:
1. No school/work
2. Stuffing yourself with turkey and other good foods.
3. Getting to see family.

Don't get me wrong. I think all those things are good (well, maybe we should not OVER stuff ourselves ) especially the third. But who ever hears of commercials that talk about Thanksgiving coming up other than "buy our turkey because its the best you've ever tasted"? Rather than reflecting on what we have to be thankful for from a whole year, it seems that Thanksgiving has become, "Be thankful about what you should have been thinking about and thanking others for every day instead of the larger picture."

Christmas is great, especially for Christians, but have we as a people really become that ungrateful? I guess when i actually take the time to think about it (which i do not do enough or very often) I guess to me it seems like the giving presents on Christmas is maybe to reflect (obviously on a much lower scale) about the joy of the greatest gift of all, Jesus. If that's the case,
shouldn't Thanksgiving also be celebrated?

I mean Thanksgiving is a time of reflection of what we have to be thankful for, it started as a time to thank God for our needs, especially our bodily needs such as food at a time when farming was done by most people, and Christmas is a celebration of God providing us with our ultimate need.

There is something else i must say. I don't have any exact evidence to support any of this, its just the way i fell to what little i see around me, and i may have overlooked many of the good things. Stories just based on feeling with no facts don't hold water so i'm not saying we are that ungrateful, it just sometimes seems like it. Any thoughts? Any one a little more optomistic than me?

[Boink!]

Warning, this is a rant, not based on evidence.

Alright, its nothing that just started, but it has gotten worse over the past few years (or maybe i'm just now getting old enough to see it). Where has Thanksgiving gone?

Every year, people start celebrating Christmas weeks before Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, as a Christian, I know that Christmas is a celebration of the beginning of the most important events in history, but why has Thanksgiving been left out?

If I had a guess, it would be we don't care to want to stop to take time to be thankful. If you asked a lot of people what they are thankful for on Thanksgiving would the top three be:
1. No school/work
2. Stuffing yourself with turkey and other good foods.
3. Getting to see family.

Don't get me wrong. I think all those things are good (well, maybe we should not OVER stuff ourselves ) especially the third. But who ever hears of commercials that talk about Thanksgiving coming up other than "buy our turkey because its the best you've ever tasted"? Rather than reflecting on what we have to be thankful for from a whole year, it seems that Thanksgiving has become, "Be thankful about what you should have been thinking about and thanking others for every day instead of the larger picture."

Christmas is great, especially for Christians, but have we as a people really become that ungrateful? I guess when i actually take the time to think about it (which i do not do enough or very often) I guess to me it seems like the giving presents on Christmas is maybe to reflect (obviously on a much lower scale) about the joy of the greatest gift of all, Jesus. If that's the case,
shouldn't Thanksgiving also be celebrated?

I mean Thanksgiving is a time of reflection of what we have to be thankful for, it started as a time to thank God for our needs, especially our bodily needs such as food at a time when farming was done by most people, and Christmas is a celebration of God providing us with our ultimate need.

There is something else i must say. I don't have any exact evidence to support any of this, its just the way i fell to what little i see around me, and i may have overlooked many of the good things. Stories just based on feeling with no facts don't hold water so i'm not saying we are that ungrateful, it just sometimes seems like it. Any thoughts? Any one a little more optomistic than me?

It pretty much comes down to one thing. Money. Businesses prepare for Christmas early so people start buying gifts early. People will be in stores more, either browsing or buying in preparation for the Holiday. That's what I've observed anyway.

[Anna Mae]

What you have to say is very true, Sparrowhawk. Like Boink! said, it's all about money. Halloween and Christmas are big money makers. Businesses know that if people stop to be thankful for what they have, they might realize that they really don't need the stuff that businesses are trying to sell them. An added bonus is that if they start selling Christmas products right after Halloween, consumers might use them up/break them/etc. before Christmas rolls around and then they will buy it all again. But perhaps I am too cynical...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

It pretty much comes down to one thing. Money. Businesses prepare for Christmas early so people start buying gifts early. People will be in stores more, either browsing or buying in preparation for the Holiday. That's what I've observed anyway.

YOU USED 1st PERSON! DUN DUN DUN

yes agreed, it's all about money...

but just cause it's not advertised everywhere doesn't mean it's gone! Continue the tradition!

[Rogie]

I think you make a good point, and I've personally tried to do more on Thanksgiving than just eat and be with family. I actually do not ask God for anything or pray for anything on Thanksgiving today, except for ask for forgiveness. When I say prayers throughout the day, I only thank Him for what He's given me. It helps me focus on what He's already done for me, and how blessed I've been and will continue to be.

But I love both holidays. They're wonderful.

[termyt]

Thanksgiving is my favorite Holiday - food, football, and family. What a great combination.

Thanksgiving has been tied to Christmas for as long as I can remember - and I can remember back to when the stores didn't set up Christmas displays until the Friday after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has long been recognized as the beginning of the Christmas season - and what a mark of distinction that is!

I still celebrate Thanksgiving in all its glory. As far as I know, it's in no threat of being removed from the calendar, so what else matters?

[c-girl]

>T_T< I appreciate Thanksgiving Day... Especially being so far away from America... The only turkey I'm gonna enjoy this year is a drawing. >T^T< *sniffle*

[termyt]

Big Chinese Thanksgiving Wishes. I'm sorry they don't have turkey there.

[Boink!]

YOU USED 1st PERSON! DUN DUN DUN

yes agreed, it's all about money...

but just cause it's not advertised everywhere doesn't mean it's gone! Continue the tradition!

This will be a rarity as Boink! will continue in the 3rd person!!

[c-girl]

>^^< I think even though Thanksgiving isn't advertised as much. It's still a big holiday. I know plenty of people that find it still as one of the most important holidays. Like my family. >^.^< We always get together with friends and family and celebrate and play games.

[ShiroiHikari]

Thanksgiving is still a big deal, no matter what the media tries to portray. Although this business with Christmas starting at Halloween now is really starting to bother me. I finally gave in and put out my Christmas stuff a couple of days early (I usually do it the day after Thanksgiving).

I do think it's sad that these things have to revolve around money, money, money. I like to buy people gifts and all but I just don't have the money :\

[~Natsumi Lam~]

on thanks giving i try to list ... to myself .. all that i am thankful for. So i dont loose sight of the THANKS in thanksgiving. I like telling each of my friends and family how i am thankful for them and what they have done.

I am thankful for all the camaraderie on CAA and how it has helped me get out of my sad ruts. Thanks guys!!!! Thanks mods for upholding the integrety of this site!!


~Natsumi Lam~

[Starfire1]

thanksgiving is more like a day to kick off the christmas shopping rather than a feast to give thanks for what we've been blessed with.

[livewire]

As someone who works retail...I must say that is highly distressed me this year to see the Christmas trees being trimmed B4 Halloween this year....
it is true that the whole meaning of Thansgiving and Christmas alike has been skewed. Setting up the Before Thanksgiving Sale with my manager on Tuesday, the conversation went around to the attitudes of people around Christmas and how, even though I used to love this time of the year, it doesn't hold the same splendor that it once did for me...that it saddens me to see how secular the holiday has become. My manager then point blank asked me what I believed the holiday was supposed to be about and I got nervous, because u aren't really supposed to talk religion in the workplace...but, I told him that the Christmas was a celebration of the Lord's birth and that...if you take Christ out of it then it is really only about greed...and he said he agreed....

[Nate]

Well, the reason you have malls putting up Christmas stuff after Halloween is because Thanksgiving is not really a profitable holiday as far as department stores are concerned.

Grocery stores are the ones that advertise Thanksgiving hardcore, obviously, because people buy Thanksgiving food from them. But since department stores don't have that luxury, Thanksgiving really isn't profitable for them, so they have to default to the next big thing.

I'm not saying that makes it right, just giving you the heads up of why it's done that way.

QUICK EDIT: Also remember Thanksgiving is solely an American holiday, whereas Christmas is global.

[livewire]

Also remember Thanksgiving is solely an American holiday, whereas Christmas is global.

Ahhhh! SO true...I think sometimes it is easy to forget that small fact. Not everyone celebrates Thansgiving because it is just an American Holiday...
Perhaps that is why department stores have bipassed it in recent years...
I know that I had several customers highly upset because we had nothing for Thanksgiving this year...
and as I posted above....
Christmas was beginning to be displayed BEFORE HALLOWEEN not after...BEFORE...it was crazy....Christmas trees in October!