"Save Thanksgiving!"

http://www.greenprophet.com/2010/11/vegetarian-thanksgiving/

Today has marked the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, a day rich with traditions of family, food and football for many - although not necessarily in that order.

It has traditionally been a day whereupon retail stores have been closed, ostensibly so that their employees can spend time with family.  The following day, commonly known as "Black Friday," is said to be the busiest shopping day of the year and is widely regarded as the start of the Christmas shopping season.  Over the course of the past few years, however, stores have been opening earlier and earlier, and now some are even open on Thanksgiving Day itself.

In response to this apparent change in our culture, people have been circulating online petitions imploring retailers to "save Thanksgiving."  I am of several minds on this.

Soliciting the attention of an international corporation in the month of November regarding their Thanksgiving Day policies is, in my estimation, a fruitless endeavor.  The decision to be open or closed was almost certainly not made on a monthly basis, but on a quarterly, yearly or even long-term basis.  The American populace may be able to effect change for future years if we start today and maintain our passion on the subject throughout the year.

Very generally speaking, businesses open their doors for three reasons - to provide goods and services, to remain competitive with other companies who do the same, and... because people are receptive.  If we wish to change the companies, it is not enough to complain.  We must first change the consumer culture and not patronize businesses during those days and times that we find objectionable, then communicate to them clearly and respectfully the reasons for our decisions.

Something that I find somewhat ironic is that people take issue with big box retailers being open, but no one seems to give similar consideration to restaurants or gas stations.  Additionally, it occurs to me that there have been Thanksgiving Day parades in New York City for eighty-six years, and there is a NFL game on television this evening.  In fact, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_Classic shows that football games have been played on Thanksgiving every single year since 1892 (with the exception of 1941 through 1944 because of World War II).  Speaking from personal experience, spending time with someone who is concentrating on a televised football game is akin to being in the company of a rock that has the occasional outburst, as each is equally receptive to non-game conversation.

I want to look at this from another angle though.  What exactly does the Thanksgiving holiday celebrate?  Is it necessary as an American - or, any any rate, as someone who lives in America - to celebrate the holiday?  Our nation prides itself as a "melting pot," a land of immigrants.  Our brothers and sisters who come to our shores from nations around the world might not be particularly interested in Thanksgiving, any more than you or I might show enthusiasm toward countless other cultural observances.  The nation does not come to screeching halt in consideration of them, so perhaps it is time for the people of the United States to re-evaluate the very nature of our secular holiday traditions.  Working on Thanksgiving and other secular holidays is something to which we may need to become accustomed.

http://theartfestival.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/happy-thanksgiving/

In closing, it is my observation that some people allow their lives to be dictated by the calendar.  If someone has to work on Thanksgiving, but gets to spend time with family on the following Saturday, does that make him or her any less thankful?  Do we feel any differently about our loved ones on February 13th or 15th?  Personally, I do not restrict my patriotism to July 4th or my interest in politics to Election Day.

The die has been cast for this year, but we can make real, positive, and lasting changes - perhaps not in the way that our nation conducts commerce, but in the way that we feel about it - if we start the process today.

My wish for "saving Thanksgiving" is that we may all hold the spirit and the practice of both secular and sacred holidays in our hearts on every day throughout the year.