The New Lost Holiday

Halloween is through!

The stores are alive with the sound of........Christmas!

Get your picture taken with Santa!  Set out your Christmas decorations!  Light up you house!  Start shopping for the out-of-towners!  Attend the Christmas tree  lighting ceremonies!  Set up your own tree!  Watch the Christmas parade!

And do it all....

Before Thanksgiving.

Commercially, not all the chatter is about Christmas.  Well, not directly, at any rate.  There are plenty of rumblings and advertisings and promotions about the new, dominant November Holiday...Black Friday!

I  don't know. Who can blame retailers?  How do you make a lot of money off of people being thankful?  Oh, sure, some groceries are sold, some plates and table decorations.  But nobody rushes out and buys a new computer or TV just for Thanksgiving.  Kids don't open dozens of toys.  So where is the cash incentive?

Many individual families still cherish Thanksgiving get togethers.  Travel seems to be more limited than before, as more and more jobs offer less and less vacation.  And many don't have the money for extensive travel, especially when you have to devote so many resources to Christmas.

I have not had Thanksgiving with my Michigan family in a very long time.  Both my mother and father have passed, leaving my sister and her family, who, because of the infrequency of our visits, have developed their own family and traditions.  She has a daughter and son, and now three grandchildren (compared to my zero). 

In past years, we have invited friends, particularly from church. who may not be able to have Thanksgiving with their own family.  This year, I am very fortunate to have my son, Doug, and his wonderful girlfriend, the charming Paige, coming to visit us over Thanksgiving.  I miss being able to have my oldest son, Greg, with us, but he lives in California, and his ability to visit is rare.

As someone raised in Michigan, I am a devout Detroit Lions fan.  The Lions always have a game on Thanksgiving.  The Lions have never really shined in oh, about 60 plus years, so most often, I get two turkeys on Thanksgiving.  But this year will be different! (I hope)


Thanksgiving still exists.  Gratitude and the open table are still celebrated by many.  But in the general culture?  In the shared media world we have immersed our self in?  It has all but disappeared, lost in the great rush towards more commercially promising holidays.


But don't let it get you down.  Reach out to your family.  Reach out to the lonely.  Reach out to those in need.  Make it a celebration of love, thankfulness and brotherhood.

The media?  We don't need no stinking media!