Thanksgiving 2012

Every year some radio station or TV news station takes a poll to ask people if we think we should wait until after Thanksgiving to display Christmas decorations.
And every time they do this, most of the people who respond say 'Yes" we should celebrate Thanksgiving as a separate holiday without having it being overshadowed by Christmas.

But the merchants always want to push Christmas even before  Halloween, and sometimes even as early as August. I can remember when the Town of Chapel Hill had to pass an ordinance against displaying Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. At University Mall in Chapel Hill, I was told that the Christmas decorations are hidden in the ceiling, and after closing time on Thanksgiving Day, they come down to the floor on elevators. Then, so they say, a crew works on the decorations through the night, and have everything ready when they open again in the morning. I was Santa Claus there one year, (a really fun job, let me tell you!) and that's when I heard this.

I like the idea of giving thanks for the good things we have before we celebrate having them, as an appropriate start to the Holiday Season.

I hate the idea of people killing each other on Black Friday the very next day.
That is one tradition I do not observe.

Some don't want to celebrate Thanksgiving at all, in sympathy with our Native American friends. (Which is why I don't tell the Pilgrim story!) Then there are the Jehovah's Witnesses, who don't celebrate any holidays, not even birthdays. (those poor kids!)

When a loved one goes missing or is murdered during a holiday time, it tends to put a damper on the festive occasion, and the reminder keeps coming back around every year.

For those who came late, Debbie went missing the night of November 30, but as it was after midnight, and before daylight began, the date is also considered December 1. That year (1997) Nov 30 was the Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend.

But I love the holidays, though it may always be a challenge to celebrate it the way I think it should be. But, you know what?, that is a challenge I always accept!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!