The Freelance Retort: A Thanksgiving Comeback

It’s nice to see Thanksgiving making a bit of a comeback.

Once, right up there as a primo year-end Holiday, it had begun to lose some of its status and luster as a holiday to anticipate and enjoy.

Which the Turkeys were okay with.

Situated so close to Christmas, which has everything going for it as holidays go, including its own movies and musical score, people couldn’t wait to begin decking the halls.

If only Thanksgiving would do its thing and step to the side...please.

It’s no wonder those plastic Turkey Trees and Gobble Gobble Garland strings I tried selling on EBay didn’t fly...so to speak.

Nope, shoppers were already snapping up all those shelf elfs and other assorted Kringle creatures.

Which, again, was fine with the Turkeys.

You could also spot Thanksgiving’s diminished status in other ways.

Folks fortunate enough to have in-laws and out-laws counted among their extended families and obligations (wait, did I write that out loud???) found themselves having to choose...which festive feast they preferred to celebrate with their immediate families and which with the in-laws.

Not an easy decision since they both have ups sides and...let’s face it...down sides.

At the in-laws, there’s that Uncle who always arrives after the soup’s been served and insists on reading all 108,260 words of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” before the turkey is carved.

Some find that an upside...others, not so much.

At your immediate family’s dinner, the tradition of “find the drumstick” is both beloved and controversial, especially since you’ve been looking for the same drumstick since the early 70’s.

“Oh, I’m sure it will turn up one of these years...keep looking!” is the traditional refrain voiced, each holiday by Great Aunt Louise, who by coincidence also whips up a spectacular turnip dish, to boot.

Again, an upside for some...others, not so much.

So when faced with a choice, a lot of people choose the in-laws for Thanksgiving, saving—at least in their minds—the more festive, traditional Christmas dinner with all its assorted caroling and tree trimmings for themselves.

Come on...don’t roll your eyes...you know you think that way.

Everyone can’t wait for Christmas. Christmas commercials start the second you give out your last piece of Halloween candy.

When’s the last time you saw a commercial for a Butterball Turkey...let alone Turkey Trees and Gobble Gobble Garland strings?

When’s the last time you gathered your neighbors together to go Thanksgiving caroling?

Who among us last threw a Pre-Thanksgiving Holiday party?

Even Halloween has those.

Where are all the Thanksgiving decorations?

The Fancy Big Hats, bustles and buckled shoes?

Hiding under the wreaths and trees already lining the aisles?

No...Thanksgiving has long been relegated to the stuffed bellies and leftover pile.

Even the uniqueness of Thanksgiving Thursday football has been marginalized and spread throughout the season.

Still, as I said, there seems to be a bit of a Thanksgiving comeback movement afoot.

More and more folks are complaining about the earlier and earlier displays of Christmas cheer.

The shoddy dismissal of all things Turkey.

More and more, TV shows roll out annual Thanksgiving episodes in lieu of Christmas...mostly because they go off the air for December, I guess to go shopping...but hey...we’ll take it.

Even Charlie Brown’s Thanksgiving is gaining in popularity.

Most of all, a lot of us are rediscovering the act of giving thanks for all we’ve had and all we still have, in the face of all we’ve lost throughout the year.

And even though many of us suffer our losses quietly, in our own way, in our own time, there’s solace in giving thanks, together.

That alone is enough to honor Thanksgiving as the special holiday it still deserves to be.

So enjoy your turkeys and your families, both immediate and extended, this Thanksgiving.

Give thanks you’re all together and enjoy your holiday traditions...even “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, which you might actually find interesting.

And, if not, there’s still the drumstick hunt.

Christmas can wait a few more days...there’s leftover to be had!

And in that spirit I’ll refrain from mentioning anything about my new book, “The Little Red Christmas Ball” available now at all on-line book sellers. A story for kids, and anyone whoever was and would be again, it just could be your favorite new holiday tradition. But, as I said, I’m not going to do that...because that would be wrong. At least while you’re still looking for that drumstick....

Happy Thanksgiving!

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