I’m gonna be ahead of the curve on this one. I don’t really like Christmas lights in general, waste of electricity, but it bugs me way more when people put them up before Thanksgiving. Makes me feel like they’re skipping Thanksgiving, or merging it with Christmas, which I’m not okay with.
Thanksgiving probably means something different to everyone, but what I think it’s supposed to be about is taking of a bit of time to recognize and be thankful for what we’ve got, especially the simple necessities we take for granted (because we have it so good), and to remember how we got here. That’s just a good thing for a holiday to be built around, and way more important than the other popular holidays, I think. It merges European and Native American traditions, one of the few ways we typical modern Americans recognize the Native American contribution to our prosperity. Also, it is a national holiday, with no real tie to religion, one of the few we have, so it’s truly inclusive. I don’t have to buy anyone gifts, which is a plus. Also, I like turkey.
Sure there’s a bit of gluttony involved, but at least it’s real food gluttony. It’s more to do with meat and stuffing and less to do with cookies and candy. Plus, the ability to be occasionally gluttonous is one of the things we’re celebrating and being grateful for. Of course Thanksgiving is being ever more tainted by Black Friday and ridiculous nonsense like that, but some people can ruin anything.
At it’s core Thanksgiving is a better holiday than Christmas, and even if you don’t agree, you should at least agree that Thanksgiving deserves its limited time and should not be skipped over, even symbolically.
Please, think of the children. Wait until December to start wasting electricity.