By Britney Tran
We often glide right past Thanksgiving because it’s wedged in between Halloween and Christmas, and over the years, we may not even notice that there’s a near-complete absence of Thanksgiving-themed decorations in local stores and households. So, is Thanksgiving dead?
Thanksgiving is a beloved tradition that dates back to 1621, primarily celebrated by the English Pilgrims through a feast with the Native Americans after their first harvest in present-day Massachusetts. It’s a widespread tradition to have a big family dinner every Thanksgiving, similarly to the Pilgrims’ initial feast.
However, the Thanksgiving vibe has been noticeably bombarded by Black Friday sales, parades, and commercialized.
In a 2018 survey conducted by NRF, an estimation of 164 million people planned to shop through the week of Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday. The Balance, a business website, reported that another survey showed that roughly 28% (29M) of their participants abandoned Thanksgiving for sales and 43% prioritize holiday shopping in November.
Thanksgiving brightens up the otherwise gloomy days of November, but others are too preoccupied with their Christmas rushes to notice. With Black Friday kicking off the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving, people tend to be hasty with checking off their wishlists. Many even often arrive at stores as early as 12 am, thus completely dismissing the traditions of a big Thanksgiving dinner and the importance of giving thanks. I mean, wouldn’t you hate to miss out on big savings because of that turkey?
The Thanksgiving spirit is also dimmed due to its abruptness. Besides the Thanksgiving vacation for students, the holiday generally has little warning, causing many to overlook its presence. The decorations and excitement correlated to Thanksgiving are noticeably drowned out by the Christmas hype. Think of the Christmas displays that are in stores as early as October.
However, traditions are hard to let go of; we hold onto them as tightly as we hold onto the handles on a rollercoaster. Thanksgiving is the oldest American holiday, and we instantly think of turkey and family feasts when we think about it. No matter how much we’ve marked Thanksgiving with our own personal flair and family traditions, recent polls show that 95% of Americans still spend Thanksgiving week with their friends and family.
Whether you’re serving a party of four or dismissing the homemade aspect by ordering in, the gathering of our loved ones is still rooted in our psyche as the proper celebration for Thanksgiving day. While some of us don’t celebrate it or may be bending traditions, Thanksgiving as a whole hasn’t died just yet.
