Turkey Day will prevail...
Amidst the hustle and bustle of shoppers, something more important than thanksgiving dinner is on the horizon. With many stores opening in the early evening of this national holiday, eating away at the time spent with family and friends, it is time for America as a nation to reclaim Thanksgiving. In this time of economic instability, and global insecurity, what are the common threads that have held this day in esteem for over 150 years?
President Lincoln instituted this day to reflect on our nations bounty and give thanks to God for our collective blessings. We as a nation continue to have much to be thankful for. Setting aside one day out of 365 to gather and eat together and give thanks is as needed as ever in America. Sadly, consumerism is eating away at the edges of the holiday, and in future years may consume Thanksgiving Day altogether. If that were to happen, then it really would diminish society greatly.
A survey was taken last night by some of my family members that has given me a spark of hope in all of this. These family members wanted to discover who might sign a petition to eradicate Thanksgiving, and let stores open at noon on Thanksgiving. The people surveyed, waiting in line outside a big box store around 10 p.m. last night disagreed with the notion of eradicating the holiday, and said it would ruin the family celebrations. The people surveyed seemed to want to protect the holiday from any further erosion by consumerism. I feel a great sense of hope from those conversations! I believe that consumers will join together and fight back as store openings become earlier and earlier in the coming years.
~Kathy~
