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November 20, 2007
What's it really about, anymore?
I'm sick of hearing about "Turkey Day." Thanksgiving is as much about turkey as Christmas is about Santa Claus...
Thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday, but I won't pretend I don't like a day off to spend with family eating good food. If I said I didn't like it that would be a lie. I do like it, but lately I've really tired of the idea of the turkey being the focus of this American holiday. It is an American holiday, and even though there are also Christian roots (because like it or not, the folks who came over on boats were religious people) the only connection to massive amounts of food lies in the timing--harvest season. However celebrating bounty and glutting on turkey are different things entirely... Even if we're not going to focus on the Christian roots of the holiday, could we please at least look at the American socio-historical side a little more than the turkey?
I think I'm either getting old or getting jaded with holidays in general. I don't like that popular meanings are becoming the focus for things like Thanksgiving (not to mention Christmas, Easter, and Independence Day). There are traditions and then there are things that are commercially shoved down our throats. I'm tired of being force-fed my "traditions."
I feel like Charlie Brown and Linus all at once. And maybe a pinch of the Grinch, too, for good measure.
Wow, I'm sorry this is so negative. I guess it makes me sad, is all.
Posted by KarissaKilgore at November 20, 2007 8:24 PM
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Comments
I think I'll start calling Thanksgiving "Stuffingfest!"
Posted by: Mike Rubino at November 21, 2007 8:10 AM
How about "Black Friday Eve," when the ghosts of department store associates walk the earth, recalling their last moments of freedom before the holy season of Commercialmas begins?
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 21, 2007 10:22 AM
Ooo, I like "Black Friday Eve," Dr. Jerz. Eerie sounding.
And I guess that brings another point to mind: Black Thursday was the day of the stock market crash in 1929, so why is the so-called "biggest shopping day of the year!" called Black Friday? They're essentially opposite in economic terms, right? To me, this colors the holiday black with greed--Commercialmas, indeed.
Posted by: Karissa Kilgore at November 21, 2007 11:12 AM
I think "Black Friday" means it's the day that you pay off all the fiscal year's outstanding bills, so that you're in the black (rather than in the red) from now on. But you're right, the term sounds ominous.
Posted by: Dennis G. Jerz at November 21, 2007 7:31 PM
The term black Friday, as dr. jerz said, is the one time of the year that businesses, such as walmart, the former kmart (i dont know how many are left in this area), target, etc can claim a significant plus in their income ("being in the black")
Black Thursday is known as thus because it was a "dark" day for the economy
Posted by: Lou Gagliardi at November 21, 2007 9:22 PM