The death of Thanksgiving?

[mudwhistle]

Lincoln gave us Thanksgiving.

It had nothing to do with Indians.

"

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth."

Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

Racist.


*just kidding*

 

[koshergrl]

I don't see any superbowl verbage in there, either.

 

[koshergrl]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7v-LQsQKoY]Addams Family Values thankgiving play song "eat me" - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Foxfyre]

I hate that they start Christmas so early--even before Halloween anymore. But not because I think it is wrong or crass commercialism. I hate it because I am sick of seeing it all by the time Christmas actually gets here and one of the things I have always loved about Christmas is the lights, imagery, wonderful music and I want to enjoy that during December. For me, I enjoy the family gathering at Thanksgiving, but I used to be glad when all the work involved was done and I had three glorious days when nobody expected anything from me. But I LIKE doing almost all of our Christmas shopping early and having it done and out of the way and not having the stress and pressure. And we do just enough decorating so the house looks festive and Christmasy, but not so much that putting it out and then dismantling it afterard is a pain. Christmas is much less stressful for me now.

I LIKE the Black Friday sales--Mr. Foxfyre got the computer I am using at O-dark-thirty on Black Friday last year - a great computer with a huge hard drive and plenty of power and all the bells and whistles for under $300. We couldn't have afforded it otherwise. And it was my Christmas present last year. The retailers move out a lot of inventory they are phasing out anyway and the customers get some really fantastic deals. I used the cyber version of Black Friday to get Mr. Foxfyre some coveted software that we hadn't been able to afford but I was able to get it at a fraction of the retail cost.

Our goal is for the holidays to be something we enjoy doing rather than a stressful obligation. We have pretty well achieved that goal.

 

[BullKurtz]

There are enough people and enough choices to accommodate us all. There are far more evil things in the world than going out to shop on Thanksgiving afternoon or evening. (Even though I myself never do that.)

Including shopping on line.

I really don't like to shop and much prefer to do it on line.

Given your people skills, I understand why you'd want to limit actual contact with a normal human to a minimum.

 

[Contumacious]

Will you shop on Thanksgiving, or will you take advantage of the day and enjoy it with family and friends?

I will thank my employer who always pays me double for for working on Thanksgiving day. We will shop at our favorite retailer " Amazon.

.

 

[rightwinger]

Will you shop on Thanksgiving, or will you take advantage of the day and enjoy it with family and friends?

I will thank my employer who always pays me double for for working on Thanksgiving day. We will shop at our favorite retailer " Amazon.

.

Good for your employer

If businesses see opening on Thanksgiving to be such a profit maker, they should kick some of that extra profit back to the employees who make it possible

 

[mudwhistle]

I hate that they start Christmas so early--even before Halloween anymore. But not because I think it is wrong or crass commercialism. I hate it because I am sick of seeing it all by the time Christmas actually gets here and one of the things I have always loved about Christmas is the lights, imagery, wonderful music and I want to enjoy that during December. For me, I enjoy the family gathering at Thanksgiving, but I used to be glad when all the work involved was done and I had three glorious days when nobody expected anything from me. But I LIKE doing almost all of our Christmas shopping early and having it done and out of the way and not having the stress and pressure. And we do just enough decorating so the house looks festive and Christmasy, but not so much that putting it out and then dismantling it afterard is a pain. Christmas is much less stressful for me now.

I LIKE the Black Friday sales--Mr. Foxfyre got the computer I am using at O-dark-thirty on Black Friday last year - a great computer with a huge hard drive and plenty of power and all the bells and whistles for under $300. We couldn't have afforded it otherwise. And it was my Christmas present last year. The retailers move out a lot of inventory they are phasing out anyway and the customers get some really fantastic deals. I used the cyber version of Black Friday to get Mr. Foxfyre some coveted software that we hadn't been able to afford but I was able to get it at a fraction of the retail cost.

Our goal is for the holidays to be something we enjoy doing rather than a stressful obligation. We have pretty well achieved that goal.

The Christmas holiday should go thru the last bowl game. I hate stores that put up Valentine displays before New Years day.

 

[High_Gravity]

More retailers have announced they will open Thanksgiving Day for your shopping pleasure, so to speak. Is this appropriate?

Should Thanksgiving remain a holiday, unique to America, when families gather together to give thanks, share a meal and create their own Thanksgiving memories and traditions? Or should Thanksgiving be a day when Mom or Dad has to excuse himself and go to work because bargains are offered to shoppers readying themselves for a holiday happening four weeks hence?

Will you shop on Thanksgiving, or will you take advantage of the day and enjoy it with family and friends?

Sometimes bargains are not really worth it, don't you think? If they come at the expense of yours or the clerk's family, are they really bargains at all?

Thanksgiving is an evil white mans Holiday.

 

[rightwinger]

More retailers have announced they will open Thanksgiving Day for your shopping pleasure, so to speak. Is this appropriate?

Should Thanksgiving remain a holiday, unique to America, when families gather together to give thanks, share a meal and create their own Thanksgiving memories and traditions? Or should Thanksgiving be a day when Mom or Dad has to excuse himself and go to work because bargains are offered to shoppers readying themselves for a holiday happening four weeks hence?

Will you shop on Thanksgiving, or will you take advantage of the day and enjoy it with family and friends?

Sometimes bargains are not really worth it, don't you think? If they come at the expense of yours or the clerk's family, are they really bargains at all?

Thanksgiving is an evil white mans Holiday.

But Football makes it all right

 

[BullKurtz]

Thanksgiving is an evil white mans Holiday.

Part of our family tradition is having a big lunch of turkey (that we're already sick of after T-Day) and heading out for Chinese on Christmas evening. The slants do a land-office business around here that night.

 

[High_Gravity]

I would not shop on Thanksgiving Day. In my family, Thanksgiving has always been a time to spend with family and friends. It is also a tradition in our family to spend the day eating and watching NFL football. Besides, the wife always winds up dragging me to the mall the following day (on Black Friday). It is not a pretty sight, and a day I dread. Both the parking lot and the mall are always completely full.

Yeah I'll be too busy cooking, eating, drinking and watching sports to want to go out anywhere.

 

[High_Gravity]

More retailers have announced they will open Thanksgiving Day for your shopping pleasure, so to speak. Is this appropriate?

Should Thanksgiving remain a holiday, unique to America, when families gather together to give thanks, share a meal and create their own Thanksgiving memories and traditions? Or should Thanksgiving be a day when Mom or Dad has to excuse himself and go to work because bargains are offered to shoppers readying themselves for a holiday happening four weeks hence?

Will you shop on Thanksgiving, or will you take advantage of the day and enjoy it with family and friends?

Sometimes bargains are not really worth it, don't you think? If they come at the expense of yours or the clerk's family, are they really bargains at all?

Thanksgiving is an evil white mans Holiday.

But Football makes it all right

Yes.

 

[rightwinger]

I would not shop on Thanksgiving Day. In my family, Thanksgiving has always been a time to spend with family and friends. It is also a tradition in our family to spend the day eating and watching NFL football. Besides, the wife always winds up dragging me to the mall the following day (on Black Friday). It is not a pretty sight, and a day I dread. Both the parking lot and the mall are always completely full.

Yeah I'll be too busy cooking, eating, drinking and watching sports to want to go out anywhere.

I like Thanksgiving

With families dispersed all over, many families rarely having dinner together it is a chance to put down all the distractions and bring your family together for a big dinner and family bonding

It is also not as commercial as some other holidays have become

 

[BullKurtz]

Now that the Detroit Lions have a decent chance of beating the Packers or CowPies on T-Day, we Detroiters don't have to get drunk on our ass to watch the game in hiding...it's been a miserable 20 years I tell ya.

 

[High_Gravity]

I would not shop on Thanksgiving Day. In my family, Thanksgiving has always been a time to spend with family and friends. It is also a tradition in our family to spend the day eating and watching NFL football. Besides, the wife always winds up dragging me to the mall the following day (on Black Friday). It is not a pretty sight, and a day I dread. Both the parking lot and the mall are always completely full.

Yeah I'll be too busy cooking, eating, drinking and watching sports to want to go out anywhere.

I like Thanksgiving

With families dispersed all over, many families rarely having dinner together it is a chance to put down all the distractions and bring your family together for a big dinner and family bonding

It is also not as commercial as some other holidays have become

I love the food that goes with it turkey, dressings, mashed potatoes, all the gravy, green beans, collard greens, yams, pies, wines, my god, and all the left overs.

 

[High_Gravity]

As a religious people, the Union victory was an act of God, so they gave Thanks to the Lord. Judging from what democrats have done to the Union since 1863, the preservation of the Union isn't exactly something to be Thankful for any longer.

I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Aside from making a phone call to my son and sending out a few e-mails, I normally work and it's just another day. I really don't celebrate any holidays. If I have work to do, I do it. Going shopping might be a welcome break if the stores aren't too crowded.

Hmmmmm... Is it possible that the two 'sides' to this discussion (don't shop, OK to shop) are largely (if steretypically) subdivided into (1) people who have large families and celebrate a communal meal and time together (voting 'don't shop') and (2) people who don't have that to look forward to (voting 'OK to shop')?

When I was in college, all us single folks would get together for Thanksgiving and have a wonderful time. Some had a boyfriend/girlfriend to bring along, some were married, but all were young people living away from family. One who had a big enough house/apartment would host and cook the bird, the others would bring a dish. It was great. Because people came from all over the US, I experienced variations Thanksgiving side dishes and desserts from around the country. We cooked, drank, played music, talked endlessly, and had a great time. No one sat in front of the TV watching football. Everyone participated like a big, extended family. You don't need to be near or even on friendly terms with your family or to even have a family to experience a great Thanksgiving.

Thats what it was like when I was in the Military too for the people who couldn't go back home.

 

[R.C. Christian]

Thanksgiving is racist.

 

[Uncensored2008]

Black Friday was a well concocted marketing ploy that worked for many years. But it is no longer relevant. Online retailers have pulled the fangs of the loss leaders that drive Black Friday. This has led to a certain level of desperation among the brick and mortar retailers. Opening on Thanksgiving day is a vain attempt to regain ground lost to etailers - it won't work.

 

[mudwhistle]

Black Friday was a well concocted marketing ploy that worked for many years. But it is no longer relevant. Online retailers have pulled the fangs of the loss leaders that drive Black Friday. This has led to a certain level of desperation among the brick and mortar retailers. Opening on Thanksgiving day is a vain attempt to regain ground lost to etailers - it won't work.

Black Friday is racist.