Thanksgiving...not just another shopping day

Now, for anyone outside the US, please ignore my ranting. Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday. Yes, I know Canada has one too, but the roots and origins are a little different, and the whole thing has gone a lot less crazy.It's only my own country-mates I want to slap silly over this one.

As I spent much of this week cleaning and prepping for today's dinner, all I saw on TV and in the stores was Christmas stuff. When did Thanksgiving stop being important on it's own and start being just a milestone in the Christmas madness? Surely a month is enough time to prep even for the biggest, most over-the-top commerical gift-fest there is. You'd think so, wouldn't you?

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of celebrating the harvest, and reflecting on one's good fortune. It's a time to be amazed by the sacrifices our ancestors made to bring us to this place and time, whether those sacrifices were voluntary or not, and no matter how long ago they were made. (And for some of us, we probably don't want to examine too closely how our ancestors may have exploited others to get there. Kind of ruins the image, if you get what I mean.)


It's a time to look back at all the troubles we've endured and to be grateful that we made it through. It has some religious overtones, but they're quiet and pretty open. Be thankful to whichever diety you prefer, or just to the fates, or to the people who've helped. It's a time of family unity, though for many of us, that is a mixed blessing. I love my relatives, but they drive me nuts. This is NOT how Thanksgiving looks at my house. Not even close, LOL.
In fact Maxine, as usual, has it right:

But however you celebrate Thanksgiving, whether with friends or family, watching parades or football, or lounging on the beach, I urge you to take the time to remember that it's a separate holiday, and NOT just the introduction to the Christmas shopping season. Take a minute or two wherever you are to say thanks to someone for helping you get through the past year. And take a moment to reflect on the good things. We all have problems. We all have had rough times this past year. But we're still kicking. And that's worth being thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Pape family, to all of yours.