Danny Tyree,FloydReports.com
This year I can’t think of Thanksgiving without thinking of Barry Manilow’s melancholy song “Tryin’To Get The Feeling Again.”
Google news items about “Thanksgiving,”and amidst the tofu turkey recipes and 2010 versus 2011 price comparisons,you’ll find a growing number of stories about (a) Christmas decorations popping up before Halloween,(b) Thanksgiving getting lost in the holiday shuffle and (c) traditionalists denouncing the encroachment of “Black Friday”sales onto Thanksgiving Day.
As both a Christian and someone who knows which side his bread is buttered on (retailers DO pay the bills at the newspapers carrying my column,of course),I can see both sides of the holiday desecration issue.
I believe the merchants when they insist that they take pains not to intrude upon the family time or spiritual activities of their employees. I try to ignore the scurrilous rumors that the retailers have asked that the Rapture be abbreviated to allow more time for showcasing housewares and linens.
I sort of pity the “big box”stores that try to obtain a competitive edge by rushing the Christmas selling season. It’s just a Band-Aid. Once we eventually reach the cherished goal of promoting Christmas 365 days a year,they’ll have nowhere else to expand. They’ll finally have to compete by having the best products and service,or settle for being Number 2 (or lower).
Traditionalists,let’s not pretend that commercialism is something new. The Pilgrims represented a minority of the passengers aboard the Mayflower;most of the passengers were just out to exploit the New World. Currier &Ives did not produce their prints on a pro bono basis. The “traditional”Macy’s Thanksgiving….