Some folks were discussing this on a local talk show yesterday. The discussion point came up that back in the early-to-mid-1900s, most retailers were closed for Thanksgiving and the remainder of the week through Monday. The employees were all home with their families. That was the meaning of Thanksgiving for most. It was a time of reflection.
I watch movies like “A Christmas Story” and think of how great things must’ve been back then, how simple. It wasn’t a competition for who could spend the most or buy the most elaborate gift. It was a time to enjoy family and celebrate Christ’s birth. To question a Nativity scene or smear the season usually meant a meeting with some burly union ironworkers behind your local bar.
I also heard recently there’s a push to remove any references to smoking or tobacco in famous holiday stories such as “The Night Before Christmas.” Just unreal how low we, as a society have stooped. I’m sad for my future.
Passed a Mickey D’s with a banner out front reading “Open Thanksgiving Day and Christmas”.
There just aren’t any more Truett Cathys in the pipeline.
And if you needed to go out for Christmas dinner, there was always a Chinese restaurant nearby. ;)
Families can still do this; it only takes a little effort.