The death of Thanksgiving?

[Againsheila]

I've worked many holidays, and welcomed the extra $$. I also enjoyed the shifts because it's a holiday...people are a little more relaxed, there isn't quite as much traffic, and the boss is ALWAYS thankful. Plus you get holiday pay.

Not all places pay "holiday pay". I highly suspect that those department stores that hired all that seasonal help won't be paying "holiday pay" for their temporary workers.

 

[koshergrl]

In which case, they are workers who hire on for the holiday season. No force involved.

My daughter in law is one. She's glad to be working.

 

[Unkotare]

Until he got too sick to go, my husband used to spend holidays with his ex, her family and their daughter. I chased him out of the house to go. I stayed home alone. He'd bring me a doggie bag back. It was a very workable arrangement. No one should feel compelled to spend time with others.

You shouldn't be expected to spend the day with you husband's former wife and in-laws, that's reasonable, but not wanting to spend the day with your husband, or your husband putting them first over you, that's very sad. Really sad.

It's not sad at all. I wanted him to go. There is no reason why he should have to stay with me when he really wanted to be with his daughter. It wasn't like I wasn't invited. I declined. Except once when he badgered me into going on Christmas. I gave them a Christmas they will never forget, it will go down in family legend. After that, they left me alone. I've never been invited back for a holiday to anyone who imagined they could pressure me into going. I'm not ten years old any more and have to put up with what I don't want to put up with.

You sound like a childish, petulant POS that most people would be happy to avoid.

 

[Pogo]

You shouldn't be expected to spend the day with you husband's former wife and in-laws, that's reasonable, but not wanting to spend the day with your husband, or your husband putting them first over you, that's very sad. Really sad.

It's not sad at all. I wanted him to go. There is no reason why he should have to stay with me when he really wanted to be with his daughter. It wasn't like I wasn't invited. I declined. Except once when he badgered me into going on Christmas. I gave them a Christmas they will never forget, it will go down in family legend. After that, they left me alone. I've never been invited back for a holiday to anyone who imagined they could pressure me into going. I'm not ten years old any more and have to put up with what I don't want to put up with.

You sound like a childish, petulant POS that most people would be happy to avoid.

Irony alert.

It's the big one.

 

[Foxfyre]

In which case, they are workers who hire on for the holiday season. No force involved.

My daughter in law is one. She's glad to be working.

My son has often volunteered for holiday duty so that others who wanted to be off could take off. And others have done that for him. I have volunteered for holiday duty when I didn't have anything else going. Others have done that for me, when I needed to be off for a holiday when I was scheduled to work. It isn't a hardship of any kind. You just plan the meals or other celebration around that shift. No biggie.

And the extra holiday pay was really appreciated during lean times when we needed the money much more than we needed a traditional schedule.

 

[syrenn]

I wish you had lived in KY when they deemed toilet paper to not be a necessity! You would have ROFLYAO! That bit of legislation spawned some of the funniest 'letters to the editor' that I have ever read! Toilet paper. It's what Kentuckians use when the Sears Catalog just won't do! (No online shopping back then)

sorta the point....

what some feel is unnecessary.... others may not feel the same way. If you work in retail.. you work when the shop is open, not when you want it be open and closed when you want to be off. To bad so sad.... get out of retail if you don't like it. In my opinion retail sales is a service industry just like any other service industry...... It is there to provide what we want when WE the shoppers want it.

I agree. I wonder if they think Amazon should shut down too! And all other online businesses that require someone to be minding the cyber store.

i know...... how about football games. They certainly are not necessary. All of the people at home watching the games.....SHOULD be helping out with dinner. How about the TV and radio stations.... not necessary either..... off the air they go too.

How about disneyland and disneyworld..... to freaking bad that some peoples thanksgiving tradition is enjoying themselves in the parks.... i am sure they all would understand if the park workers did not work.

 

[syrenn]

Until he got too sick to go, my husband used to spend holidays with his ex, her family and their daughter. I chased him out of the house to go. I stayed home alone. He'd bring me a doggie bag back. It was a very workable arrangement. No one should feel compelled to spend time with others.

You're right, no one should feel compelled to spend time with others. I just don't think people who are in retail should be compelled to work on Thanksgiving either.

[MENTION=13805]Againsheila[/MENTION]

you cant have it both ways..... either it is everyone off... or people work when the job requires it.

 

[SuMar]

I don't even go on Black Friday. People are nuts out there.

 

[syrenn]

Again, they aren't "compelled". They are free to quit.

In this economy? MW jobs are akin to slave labor, they don't dare quit or they would have no money to put a roof over their heads or food, or heat, or anything else. Of course if the owner opens the store they are "compelled" to work. I suppose you never went to work a day that you weren't thrilled to go?

Everyone has worked on days they are not thrilled to go....


so your point is what?

 

[Katzndogz]

Until he got too sick to go, my husband used to spend holidays with his ex, her family and their daughter. I chased him out of the house to go. I stayed home alone. He'd bring me a doggie bag back. It was a very workable arrangement. No one should feel compelled to spend time with others.

You're right, no one should feel compelled to spend time with others. I just don't think people who are in retail should be compelled to work on Thanksgiving either.

[MENTION=13805]Againsheila[/MENTION]

you cant have it both ways..... either it is everyone off... or people work when the job requires it.

People mostly ask to work holidays. Those are usually triple time plum days to work. There is no shortage of those willing to work holidays.

 

[Asclepias]

When I was in the workforce I refused to work on MLK day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Other people have the choice to do as they please and I fault no one for doing so. Its a personal choice.

 

[Foxfyre]

I've worked many holidays, and welcomed the extra $$. I also enjoyed the shifts because it's a holiday...people are a little more relaxed, there isn't quite as much traffic, and the boss is ALWAYS thankful. Plus you get holiday pay.

Not all places pay "holiday pay". I highly suspect that those department stores that hired all that seasonal help won't be paying "holiday pay" for their temporary workers.

But those seasonal workers sure line up to get those jobs, don't they? I simply can't fault them for that because they need the money or they wouldn't apply for the jobs. And I can't see how my enjoyment of Thanksgiving is in any way compromised because they choose to work or others agree to work on Thanksgiving any more than it is compromised because some people play football on Thanksgiving and/or go to the games instead of having a family Thanksgiving at home.

A spirit of liberty allows people to choose how they will live their life. I just can't bring myself to believe everybody has to do everything the same way in order to be acceptable. And if I am the last person on Earth celebrating Thanksgiving in what is considered the traditional way, will I enjoy that any less?

 

[Pogo]

sorta the point....

what some feel is unnecessary.... others may not feel the same way. If you work in retail.. you work when the shop is open, not when you want it be open and closed when you want to be off. To bad so sad.... get out of retail if you don't like it. In my opinion retail sales is a service industry just like any other service industry...... It is there to provide what we want when WE the shoppers want it.

I agree. I wonder if they think Amazon should shut down too! And all other online businesses that require someone to be minding the cyber store.

i know...... how about football games. They certainly are not necessary. All of the people at home watching the games.....SHOULD be helping out with dinner. How about the TV and radio stations.... not necessary either..... off the air they go too.

Whoa, HEY now... them's fightin' words.

I always enjoyed being on the air on a holiday. You have such a big audience potential.
To get to entertain the masses while they relax at home? Bliss, I tell ya. Couldn't ask for a better shift.


Then again that depends on there still being a holiday... which is why I keep looking for Bill O'Reilly...

 

[syrenn]

I agree. I wonder if they think Amazon should shut down too! And all other online businesses that require someone to be minding the cyber store.

i know...... how about football games. They certainly are not necessary. All of the people at home watching the games.....SHOULD be helping out with dinner. How about the TV and radio stations.... not necessary either..... off the air they go too.

Whoa, HEY now... them's fightin' words.

I always enjoyed being on the air on a holiday. You have such a big audience potential.
To get to entertain the masses while they relax at home? Bliss, I tell ya. Couldn't ask for a better shift.


Then again that depends on there still being a holiday... which is why I keep looking for Bill O'Reilly...

nope.... plug pulled on you to buddy..... its either NO one works..... or its fine that people work.....


you cant cheery pick......

 

[Pogo]

i know...... how about football games. They certainly are not necessary. All of the people at home watching the games.....SHOULD be helping out with dinner. How about the TV and radio stations.... not necessary either..... off the air they go too.

Whoa, HEY now... them's fightin' words.

I always enjoyed being on the air on a holiday. You have such a big audience potential.
To get to entertain the masses while they relax at home? Bliss, I tell ya. Couldn't ask for a better shift.


Then again that depends on there still being a holiday... which is why I keep looking for Bill O'Reilly...

nope.... plug pulled on you to buddy..... its either NO one works..... or its fine that people work.....


you cant cheery pick......

Sure I can. Being on the air entertaining people cannot in any way be described as "work".

That's why I did it. I have a reputation yanno...


Chill out. We're talking impressionisitcs, not absolutes.

 

[syrenn]

Whoa, HEY now... them's fightin' words.

I always enjoyed being on the air on a holiday. You have such a big audience potential.
To get to entertain the masses while they relax at home? Bliss, I tell ya. Couldn't ask for a better shift.


Then again that depends on there still being a holiday... which is why I keep looking for Bill O'Reilly...

nope.... plug pulled on you to buddy..... its either NO one works..... or its fine that people work.....


you cant cheery pick......

Sure I can. Being on the air entertaining people cannot in any way be described as "work".

That's why I did it. I have a reputation yanno...

It was still "working" and is it NOT .....necessary.


Shame on you! you should have been home with your family.....

 

[Pogo]

nope.... plug pulled on you to buddy..... its either NO one works..... or its fine that people work.....


you cant cheery pick......

Sure I can. Being on the air entertaining people cannot in any way be described as "work".

That's why I did it. I have a reputation yanno...

It was still "working" and is it NOT .....necessary.


Shame on you! you should have been home with your family.....

Yeah, that's what she said.

I said, "just turn on the radio". She got that, since she was on the radio too.

 

[Katzndogz]

Opening on Thanksgiving and scaling back black friday is likely a response to the black friday violence. Too many people are getting killed. The mobs have to be defused somehow. Without shrinking the sales. Opening Thanksgiving as a shopping day is a reasonable compromise.

 

[syrenn]

Sure I can. Being on the air entertaining people cannot in any way be described as "work".

That's why I did it. I have a reputation yanno...

It was still "working" and is it NOT .....necessary.


Shame on you! you should have been home with your family.....

Yeah, that's what she said.

I said, "just turn on the radio".

lol...


i am sure you know i am all for people working on thanksgiving and business being open

 

[Foxfyre]

But honestly people, we are not dealing with a doomsday scenario here. Think how many tens of thousands of people are attending those football games on Thanksgiving Day instead of having a traditional holiday at home. And how many millions are glued to their television sets instead of participating in family togetherness. And yes, lots and lots of people are manning facilities that cannot be shut down for a short period, manning gas stations so people can get to where they are going, and keeping our utilities working, and keeping the grocery store open at least until early afternoon so we can go get the cranberry sauce or poultry seasoning we forgot to buy. And the police and fire departments and hospitals and EMTs and ambulance services are staffed and military are on duty all over the country and around the world. And yes, all the radio and television stations are up and running and usually there is a huge Thanksgiving Day edition of the newspaper advertising Black Friday specials.

And yes some folks are out shopping instead of being glued to their television set and there are people working so that their customers can shop.

And still, you can walk into any grocery store of any size, any department store, any mall, any Lowes, even any office supply store, or any specialty store and see tons of Thanksgiving decorations, paraphenalia, trinkets, and traditional foodstuffs prominently and irrisistably displayed to attract as many dollars as the proprietors can get.

If traditional Thanksgiving was in any danger, I doubt there would be much of a market for that stuff. Don't you think?