In my household, I am always made fun of for being a bit of a scrooge. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday, but there is a line I have to draw. The line is placed on the last Thursday of November, Thanksgiving Day. That means no Christmas music, decorations, or sweaters before then. So imagine my disdain when I woke up in my dorm room this year on Sunday, November 1st, hearing Michael Bublé's “Christmas” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” playing down the hall. But it’s the same thing every year. “Halloween is over and now it’s Christmas” and every time I respond the same way -- what about Thanksgiving? The day we give thanks for our family and the good things in life and get together for a meal. Did you forget about it? The answer is always the same, Money. The black plague we call consumerism has seeped into the sacred holiday spirit.
The meaning of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. That's literally it. No gimmicks, no complexity, just giving thanks. This may be why it is often forgotten, there is not enough money to be made off of it. The grocery stores may do pretty well, but it doesn't affect the larger retail market. Whereas Christmas is not only celebrated by 90 percent of Americans but requires buying gifts for everyone you care about. That's a lot of gifts and a lot of money. To feed the Christmas Hype stores will decorate with trees and stock up the ornaments the day after Halloween. I am ashamed to say that I, an adamant anti-Christmas-creep supporter has fallen into this trap. Just the other day I bought some Christmas socks and ornament earrings. I swear not to wear them until after I give my thanks, but I am still guilty of this consumer pressure. But some stores have taken up the torch to fight the good fight. Recently this photo of Nordstrom’s “Christmas policy” has gone viral.
They have made the noble choice to “celebrate one holiday at a time” as well as the decision to be closed on Thanksgiving Day. Many stores are not so kind to their employees. J.C. Penny is opening their doors at 3 p.m. on Thursday, a full two hours earlier than last year and most other stores are open at 6 p.m. that night. I don’t know about you, but my family has barely cut into the turkey at that time much less gathered enough time to go shopping. It may be the deals of the season but is it worth the raw barbarism to get that one sweater for 40 percent?
I love getting presents just as much of the next person, but Christmas needs to wait its turn. Before we can put up the tinsel and lights we have to give thanks for what we have. This greed is how consumerism has corrupted the sacred traditions of evading grandmas pinch of the cheek and evading that ever looming question, "do you have a boy/girlfriend?" Sit down eat that turkey no matter how dry it may be and say your thanks for what has been good in your life.
And just a friendly reminder...
