Thanksgiving -- the Forgotten Holiday?

[sueluvshalloween]

Although Thanksgiving is so hugely celebrated, it seems to have had the least amount of marketing appeal than any other holiday. Over the last couple of years, I have started seeing a little more Thanksgiving merchandise out on store shelves than with previous years, but it's still nothing when compared to Halloween and Christmas. Although I love Halloween and enjoy Christmas, Thanksgiving is a more important holdiay because it's about giving thanks. Christmas is a Christian holiday, and not everyone is Christian. When I'm out shopping, it seems like Thanksgiving is some forgotten little holiday. What are everyone's else's thoughts on this?

[adrian]

for me its not really forgotten but just merely celebrated without the customs of decorations or publicity... kinda like the 4th of July... hardly ANYONE decorates for either but these 2 dates are widly celebrated (as they should be) for me it just isn't custom for me to decorate for either you know?

[witchy]

I decorate for all the holidays, but I think Thanksgiving is more about giving thanks & you can't put a bow on that, trust my I tried the silly thing kept falling off!!

[Pumpkin_Man]

I don't know if I can agree with that. It's true you don't see a whole lot of decorations for Thanksgiving in various stores, but you do see all of the grocery stores stocking up on turkeys, pumpkin pies and the makings of pumpkin pies, cranberry sauce, canned yams, and a whole host of other foods that are TRADITIONAL Thanksgiving fare.

Mike

[adrian]

i'm speaking about the decoration factor of it.. not the food. of course they stock up on all of those things but compared to christmas and halloween... you're lucky to see one single table with turkey and pilgrim decorations on it... at least around here.. NO ONE decorates for thanksgiving except for an occassional hay bail and friendly scarecrow

[Pumpkin_Man]

Decorating is just not a huge parrt ot the Thanksgiving TRADITION, and never was. I'm sure if you really wanted to go all out for Thanksgiving, you could go on line and find some turkeys, pilgram candles and the like, but Thanksgiving is about two things, The religious Christian concept of giving thanks to God, and EATING. Turkey is to Thanksgiving as a jack o'lantern is to Halloween or a Christmas tree is to Christmas. In the case of the turkey, the "decoration" is eaten. In the case of Halloween and Christmas, the MAIN TRADITION is not the meal served, all though food is part of any holiday celebration, but in the case of Halloween and Christmas, the decorations are the main traditions.

Mike

[adrian]

yea there are hardly ANY decorations available.. that's why i say its not over looked.. just not decorated for like most holidays! of course we eat! that's what thanksgiving is all about!! its like the kick off day for the christmas season.. a celebration of the holiday to come!

[Belladonna]

All this Thanksgiving posting is making me crave the food!
YUMYUM!

[Pumpkin_Man]

That's exactly my point. Thanksgiving is about eating and giiving thanks, but it's certainly not becoming a "forgotten holiday." It's anything but forgotten. In fact, the tv networks still do a lot of Thanksgiving specials in November. But you're right about it being the leas decorated of the major holidays. Other "Legal holidays" that we take off from work, such as Presidents Day, Lincoln's Bday, Columbus Day, and even Martin Luthor King Day, have any decoration or TRADITION to them at all. We have a Convocation for MLK Day at work, on the day after the holiday, but all in all, those days are not even celebrated. We use to hand out an American Flag on those days, but that's about it. I still put the flag out on those days if it isn't raining, but there was never any observable TRADITION assoiated with those holidays that I can remember.

Mike

[adrian]

yea i don't think we'll EVER see thanksgiving go away!! and as far as MLK day (a.k.a. Robert E. Lee Day) i would LOVE to see those decorations hahahaha that'd be FUNNY

[Andybev01]

I decorate for Thanksgiving with natural materials from around the house. Granted I have 25 acres to scrounge from, and that's 1 thing I am truly thankful for.

I have a grapevine cornucopia that I freshen up every year and I string the dining room light with leaf garland. I keep pumpkins around the house and scarecrows here & there, as well as indian corn and bowls of preserved leaves and pine cones.

Mostly though it's food. I put out a big bowl of different nuts with nutcrackers to munch on the week before, and lots of cheeses and crackers on different days.

[Belladonna]

I love natural decorations for Thanksgiving.
It is after the harvest, so dried fruits, flowers. Pumpkins, gourds, leaves, branches.

Your displays look really good, Andy!

[adrian]

Andy those look really good! looks like you've got a lovely home there in your neck of the woods

[Pumpkin_Man]

That looks like a fabulous old house.

Mike

[witchy]

Oooh I love the chandler, I have a stain glass ceiling fan in my dining room, I love anything with stain glass!! Your deco was awesome!!! Witchy