The Thanksgiving Rush

So, if Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, it must come before Christmas–since Christmas has always been celebrated on December 25th, at least in the world of western Christianity…and the last time I checked, December follows November. I think that is still the case.

Also, the last time I checked–make that this morning–I saw that the fourth Thursday in November is just three days from today. Given that that will be Thanksgiving Day, I would expect everyone in this country to be focused on that, be talking about that, planning for that–all of ‘that’ stuff.

But apparently that does not include The Today Show. What was going on there this morning? Faith Hill was doing an outdoor concert on Rockefeller Plaza, singing her heart out–and sound-blasting Christmas carols to the world. But wait, Faith, we haven’t had Thanksgiving yet.

There is a natural order of things, and part of that order is that Thanksgiving precedes Christmas. And I know that the stores have been jumping the gun for months now, as I first saw Christmas appearing on store shelves in August. That is insane, but that’s money talking—the root of most insanity.

But Faith Hill cannot claim a money motivation to her pre-season carol singing, can she? Maybe I’m the one who’s out of touch here.

But how could she be singing Christmas carols when the Rockefeller Plaza tree has not even been lit? Is it even up? Singing carols before the lighting of the tree is backwards at best, sacrilegious more likely.

Tradition, not that there is that anymore, has it that Christmas preparations begin after Thanksgiving–and not before, Faith. And with a name like Faith, you, of all people, should know that.

Three years ago I wrote about the loss of Thanksgiving in my grocery store at the time. They leapt from Halloween to Christmas overnight on the night of October 31 to November 1, thinking, I suppose, that no one would notice the missing Thanksgiving. Maybe no one did. Except me.

Since the celebration of Thanksgiving is supposed to be about food, I would think that grocery stores would jump at the chance to really play it up big and push more product onto an already primed clientele. But no, not that store–and it was one of a major Southeastern US chain, so I have to believe that whole chain, was choosing to appear oblivious to the obvious. But maybe that is refreshing, in some twisted way–a store not interested in capitalizing on a holiday geared to its main product. Nah, that can’t be it…must have just had their sites set on the bigger picture and the bigger profits of Christmas, as dragged out as we’ve managed to make that.

But the fact remains, The Today Show and Faith Hill have given Thanksgiving the bum’s rush…now, is that what the Christmas spirit is about? I want things to go back to having a natural progression and protocol.

First there is Halloween, then THANKSGIVING, then my birthday, and THEN Christmas. Although, if Today and Faith are so willing to knock out Thanksgiving, maybe my birthday has disappeared too, and if that’s the case, I won’t get any older if my birthday never happens. Now there’s an idea worth looking into. Anyone have Faith’s e-mail?