Cherish Thanksgiving, Don’t Cheapen It

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

I’ve been asked if I will venture out today and visit the stores for the “amazing deals”.  While I love a good deal, and the chance for retailers to make a buck as much as any capitalist does, of course I won’t be shopping today.  Not today.  I will do no such thing. 

In fact, allow me to impart a bit of breaking news for those that already have a shopping plan devised: there’s a sale every day of the year! 

Yes. That’s right. If you sign up for store emails you can buy stuff on sale at deeply reduced prices every day of the year.  Perhaps you’re detecting a bit of snarky annoyance emanating from these typed words. Do not deny your senses, it’s there.

I do not like the idea of taking this very important holiday, (set aside to give thanks for what we have) and allowing it to become a shopping bacchanal focused on what we think we need. 

THANKSGIVING, a day formerly deemed a universal holiday, (read day off from work) is a day to be with family, to make memories, to be grateful because we have so much. When did we allow it to become about getting more stuff? Young children used to spend the day helping out in the kitchen or playing with their cousins, not venturing out before the dishes are even washed to snag the best deal on an Xbox. 

I beg of you to skip this cheapening of our cultural norms.  If it’s poorly attended, retailers will give up on it.  Supply and demand. If you don’t demand it, retailers simply won’t open their doors until the day after. Will their sales suffer? No, and neither will their employees. There will be plenty of days between now and Christmas to work long hours. We’ve been reserving this day for families for over a hundred years and employees and retailers haven’t suffered for the sacrifice. 

I’ll never give in to taking one of the few days a year that I have with my family and tossing it onto the altar of consumerism.  

As far as the day after Thanksgiving goes, I have only attended the madness of Black Friday once.  It wasn’t awesome.  But that’s me. Go on ahead and enjoy Black Friday if that’s your thing.  I’m pleading for Turkey Day. 

My wish for you today is that you prosper.  Create memories that young and old amongst us will cherish.  Permit family to take the highest priority.  The leather riding boots and 55 inch flat panel can wait one more day… I promise.