Thanksgiving Sovereignty

foodking

Thanksgiving is in three days, but you wouldn’t guess that if you walked outside in my neighborhood. It looks more like Santa is imminently ready to break-into people’s homes and deposit Chinese trinkets – tonight even.

christmas_lights

Today is November 25, not December 25

What’s with Christmas jumping the holiday timeline?

To me, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year: good* food, family, and no gifts. Why spoil that with the opposite: questionable food, more family, and bushels of unneeded and under-appreciated gifts? That’s fucked-up!

Some people will defend the early-onslaught of Christmas – and excuse the overreach. To those people, I call bullshit! There are only a few reasons to pre-prepare for Christmas BEFORE Thanksgiving:

  • You want to get an early-start on the holiday light set-up, and it’s a rare warm weekend in November

That’s it. AND, even if you set-up lights before Thanksgiving, you are not permitted to light those lights until Black Friday – it should be a law.

get_over_it

Love this douchebaggery

Many people might think me a grouchy old crank who needs to get over it like Mick Mulvaney (classic). To those I say, “Yes, I am a crank!” But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.

Here are the reasons people preempt Thanksgiving with Christmas:

  • My family and I are lousy cooks, we don’t look forward to a bad meal and awkward political conversations, so I fast-forward to Christmas – with the candies and the chocolates and the diabetes.
    You are a child. Grow up, learn to cook, and savor a fine meal. Tell your political opponents to fuck themselves. And lay-off the sweets, chub.
  • Christmas decorations are soooooooo pretty. It’d be a shame to only have them up for 34 days (assuming Black Friday installation and New Years’ Day take-down), when I can extend that to 40 (assuming November 28 set-up).
    You are a child. 34 days is nearly 10% of the year. If that’s not enough, maybe you need more hardship in your life.
  • The kids love it!
    Good idea. Let the kids run the world.
  • I am a weak person who deserves and seeks instant gratification.
    Bingo.

What about retailers? They are only responding to customers. Just like the stores that are open on Thanksgiving for early Black Friday shoppers. Stores sell Christmas decorations early, people bitch and moan, and reliably shop. If there were no shoppers, the stores would adjust in kind.

Note: “good” food on Thanksgiving is standard at my house, but completely within reach for you. Check-out this post from a couple years ago that puts most of my Thanksgiving lessons in one place.