Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Y'all remember Thanksgiving?

In 1846, Sarah Josepha Hale, began writing letters to presidents and publishing essays to establish a national day of thanksgiving. Ms. Hale was the nation's first female magazine editor and the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"...an innovator if you ask me.

Finally, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday on the last Thursday of November.

However, if you go out and about anywhere, especially in retail stores, you'd think Thanksgiving didn't exist. Everywhere I go, Christmas music is playing loudly, Christmas trees are all aglow, Christmas decorations, clothes, and sales are everywhere!! And it all started even before Halloween was over.

I think it's a travesty that Ms. Hale's dedication and hard work in establishing a national day of thanks is becoming more overlooked each year. Where is Thanksgiving?

I for one, refuse to listen to Christmas music or put up any decorations until Thanksgiving is over....well over....like well into December over. I'm tired of all the commercialism that Christmas brings around every year--so much so that it's wiping out Thanksgiving. What's next? A Christmasy 4th of July?

Is anyone else miffed by this? If so, join with me and the late Sarah Hale and let's bring back Thanksgiving!

6 comments:

Susan said...

I agree totally!!! I refuse to put up any decorations or listen to Christmas music too!

Anonymous said...

I cheated this year and celebrated Thanksgiving a week early. I got a week of solace before Black Friday hit and THAT change is doing me a WORLD of good. We'll still celebrate with family next week, but at least I can talk about gifts without being in a totally bad mood now that I've had a week after all the work and meaning of Thanksgiving!

I have started my Christmas cards and have listened to some Christmas music this year as a result...trying to spread out my task list more this year!

Theresa said...

I've never put up decorations in the house until after Thanksgiving and have teased friends for years for doing so. I have placed the lights on the outside of the house before hand but don't turn them on until afterward. Didn't do that this year and it's going to be freezing when I have to get out there now!

However, this year, Jeremy is bringing his girlfriend home for Thanksgiving and she won't be able to come over Christmas so I'm going to try and get my tree up so I can get some holiday photos. Now having said that, the lights on the tree won't be turned on until after Thanksgiving.

Driving to work this week, I saw tons of lights/trees already up and lit. My next door neighbors have their lights lit on their house already.

Melissa said...

This is my first time visiting your blog and I just wanted to say Hi. Your blog is so fun and I enjoyed reading all the interesting topics that you write about..very fun! I'll be sure to come back and visit again.

Anonymous said...

I have to say amen to all you wrote and the responses. Unfortunately, I do have a tree up in the office (just put it up yesterday), but won't do anything at home yet. Some years I have put up the tree and lights, then wrapped it in fall leaves, put fall ornaments, rafia and ribbons and we called it a Thanksgiving tree, but this year I haven't even done that.

I really do hate to see Thanksgiving covered over by all the bling and glitz of the "Christmas" season.

Mysti said...

I'm not a Christmas-hater. In fact, I love Christmas! Yet, we DO have Thanksgiving, and the retail markets are pushing to get as much profits as they can for the Christmas season, and Thanksgiving is not a big seller.

I like the idea of a Thanksgiving tree....we might try that sometime.