My friend Lesley mentioned that I should write a blog about the lost holiday…Thanksgiving. I’ve spent the last day thinking about this. I wasn’t even sure if I knew the true meaning of Thanksgiving. How strange…I usually know enough about basic subjects that I can speak to them (no…don’t call it B.S’ing!), but my lack of knowledge (other than Plymouth Rock), made me feel…stupid. Of course, Wikipedia and all of the other sites I visit really didn’t give me much insight either. The questions are as follows: is Thanksgiving actually a lost holiday? And if so, is that so bad???
Here’s what I’ve determined. Yes, Thanksgiving is a lost holiday. Lost between Halloween and Shopping….I mean Christmas. Its probably lost because there isn’t a great way to commercialize and market the day. What was originally intended to be a holiday where we had Harvest Festivals to give thanks to God for bountiful crops, land, etc. has turned into the carb-loading session for Black Friday and the Christmas season.
The strange thing is that Thanksgiving is still my absolute favorite holiday. I know I’m saying it is lost at the same time I’m saying its my favorite, but I feel that its morphed into a new holiday – Family Day. To me, Family Day is similar to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Since we don’t have crops and aren’t “one with the land” as the settlers and pilgrims were, we’ve turned it into a genuine day to enjoy time (not presents, other than food) with our nearest and dearest. No one expects anything more than the opportunity to spend the day with their family.
I still think its ridiculous that we go straight from Halloween decorations to Christmas at the malls and on T.V. and Thanksgiving does get the shaft in that regard. But what I do like is that as I get older its so much more noticeable the way that people do spend a bit of time feeling blessed/thankful for what their life has given them. Maybe we won’t get our hands on the Wii on Black Friday, and maybe the holidays will be stressful…I don’t know, but I love Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my friends, my family, love in my life, Katie-dog, my country, etc. Now if only I could be blessed with a Lions win tomorrow…yea, right!
Now…everyone go around the table and tell me 1 thing you’re thankful for.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I know you are most thankful to have as wonderful a sister as me, but on a more serious note, I am most thankful for Kiernan. He may be a spazz at times and it may be hard to see past it sometimes, but he is a really nice boy. He is compassionate--he cried when he thought I was hurt after slipping on the ice. He can't watch a certain commercial cause it has babies crying so therefore makes him sad and want to cry himself. He loves me no matter what and as much as he wants new friends that are hard for him to make (spazz) you can tell that he honestly loves his family, not just because he HAS TO hang out with them. Just the other day he said he wished Kathy didn't have any bathrooms at her house. When I asked why, it was because she would have to live with us then. That is just one of Kiernan's random thoughts. Anyway, I ramble. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Kristin
I am thankful for my wise and wonderful friend Kath.
Post a Comment